Bleach: The Afterlife Saga
by Minielf
Summary: Five years after he lost his powers, Ichigo thought he'd remain as a normal human. But when he and his sisters are killed by a hollow and sent to Soul Society by Rukia, Ichigo is once again thrust into the world of the Shinigami. Post ch 423 of the manga.
1. Chapter 1: Death and Strawberry Reprise

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

Chapter 1 Death and Strawberry Reprise

_If fate is a millstone, then we are the grist…The wheel of fate is guided by an infallible power…as the wheel of fate turns, so the blade is swung down again…_

An eerie wind blew across the rooftops of Karakura Town. Dark clouds hung low in the sky, obscuring the light of the full moon. Perched on top of a telephone pole, a raven haired woman dressed in black observed her surroundings. A tiny butterfly fluttered by her side.

"I sense…an unusual presence in the air. Could it be him?" she said to herself. Without a moment's thought she leaped off the telephone pole and onto the streets below…

"Wake up Ichi-nii!" a girl's voice shouted in a high pitched squeal as a stuffed pillow slammed onto the head of a man with orange hair. "It's time already!"

"Oww, stop that!" Kurosaki Ichigo responded as he thrust the pillow away. He saw Yuzu standing next to him, her face all flustered. "What is the matter?"

"It's time for the clinic to open! You've got four appointments booked out! They're going to be mad if you keep them waiting!" scolded Yuzu. Ichigo looked at his watch and realized it was almost nine in the morning.

"Okay, I get it. If the patients are already waiting, tell them I'll be down within five minutes." Ichigo watched as Yuzu left the room. Then with a sigh, he climbed out of his bed. Still half-asleep, he stumbled into the bathroom, his head throbbing in pain from a late night. When he got in front of the wash basin, he looked at himself in the mirror, and frowned. The stubble he had shaved barely a day ago was already starting to grow back. He also realized he needed a haircut, as his shaggy orange hair had nearly grown down to his shoulder. The sight of his hair however, caused a flash of images through his mind. He suddenly clutched his chest in a reflex action, but lowered his hands a moment later.

_Has it been that long already?_ Ichigo thought to himself. It had been five years since he lost his spiritual powers. Five years since he defeated the traitorous Shinigami Aizen Sousuke. But most importantly for Ichigo, it had been five years since he last saw Rukia.

Despite his vow to never forget her, Ichigo had long ago shut out all memories of Rukia and the other Shinigami of Soul Society from his head, preferring to live life as an ordinary human. He had completed high school and went onto to study a course in medicine at Tokyo University. But events in the family conspired to force him to cancel his studies and return home.

Ichigo laughed at himself as he hastily put on a shirt, trousers and finally a white overcoat. His current outfit was a far cry from his younger days as a Substitute Shinigami. Instead of being dressed in black and saving the souls of the dead, he was now dressed in white and dedicated to protecting the health of the living. The irony of his current situation was not lost on him. He finished dressing and rushed downstairs. Both Yuzu and Karin were already waiting for him.

"Am I already late?" asked Ichigo.

"No, you're just on time," replied Karin.

"Then let's begin." Ichigo walked to the front door and flipped over the 'open/closed' sign, before stepping outside, where he saw a group of people standing beside the entrance. He greeted them all with a smile. "Good morning everyone. The Kurosaki Clinic is now open."

After the four consultations were done, Ichigo and his sisters settled down for lunch around the kitchen table. Although Yuzu was still responsible for most of the cooking, Ichigo and Karin did their best to help her. As they ate, Ichigo calmly observed his two sisters. In the last five years they had both grown into fine young women. Yuzu had grown into the spitting image of their late mother; especially with the way her long hair, amble bosom and sparkling eyes gave the impression of a warm and loving demeanor. Karin was still a tomboy in her attitude, but she now had a very feminine body, with shoulder length black hair tied in a knot, and a chest almost as large as Yuzu's, despite her attempts to strap it down.

Their appearances were not the only aspects that were different. Yuzu was no longer as emotional as she was before, and instead strived to be the family's emotional centre of support. Karin on the other hand was more open and outgoing, and regularly expressed her feelings to others. Ichigo knew what had brought about these changes and secretly wished they had never happened.

"Do you think Otoo-san will ever come home?" asked Yuzu.

"I'm sure he will. Someday," replied Ichigo with a faint smile.

"Don't get your hopes us. Goat-face has either forgotten about us, or he is dead," said Karin. "I'm hoping it's the latter."

"How could you say such a thing Karin-chan!" said Yuzu in exasperation.

Ichigo didn't say anything. He knew how sensitive his sisters' feelings were. Isshin's disappearance had almost torn apart the entire family. Ichigo could still remember the day his father told them he was leaving…

"_Why are you going away?" asked Ichigo. "You can't just leave us like that!"_

"_I'm sorry Ichigo, I have no choice. Someday you'll understand my reasons for doing so," his father replied. _

"_What about Yuzu and Karin? Who's going to protect them?"_

"_You of course. When I am gone, you must become the head of the family."_

"_But I'm not a Shinigami anymore. Heck I can't even sense reiatsu! How am I supposed to respond if Yuzu and Karin are attacked by hollows?" _

"_There is no need to worry about the hollows. Soul Society has made arrangements to provide ongoing supervision over this house. All you need to worry about is the health and wellbeing of your sisters." Isshin picked up his bags and headed for the door. He turned around to face Ichigo for the final time. _

"_I'll be back some day Ichigo. Until that day, you must become the guardian of the family. I'm counting on you…"_

With those words, Isshin had left the house and never returned. For the last two years Ichigo did the best he could to support the whole family. He was forced to cancel his studies at Tokyo University, and instead completed a brief medical traineeship before earning a qualification as a general practitioner. He then took over the running of the family clinic, using whatever skills and experience he had to keep the business going.

Isshin's departure had further consequences on Ichigo's social life. He had not seen Chad, Orihime, Ishida or any of his school mates for the last two years, and seldom contacted them by phone or email. The conversations he did have with his former friends gave Ichigo the impression that he had become ostracized from his nakama, simply because he no longer had any spirit powers. He wasn't that bothered about this realization, for managing the clinic and looking after his sisters demanded almost all of his attention every single day.

Just as they were finishing lunch, the phone rang. Yuzu picked up the phone and answered.

"Uh, huh, this is the Kurosaki Family Clinic. He's right beside me now. You want to speak to him? Okay." Yuzu gave the receiver to Ichigo. "It's someone from the Karakura General Hospital." Ichigo wondered who that person might be, but as soon as he heard the voice on the other end he knew who it was.

"Hey there Strawberry," said a very familiar voice.

"What is it Ishida?" Ichigo asked. "Don't tell me it's about patient referrals again." He heard a slight chuckle from the other end as he walked upstairs to his room. Just as Ichigo had taken over his father's clinic, Ishida had replaced his father as the head doctor at the hospital. Their relationship was a cordial one, much the same as the one their fathers shared, but there had been frequent arguments between them about the patients they each treated.

"It has nothing to do with patient referrals," replied Ishida. "Sado, Inoue and I are going to hold a party to commemorate the day you lost your powers."

"The day I lost my powers?"

"Yes Kurosaki. It's been give years since you last saw Kuchiki. Or have you completely forgotten about her?" Ishida's words caused Ichigo to reflect for a moment.

"Yeah, I guess I have. I've tried hard not to think about her, or any of the Shinigami."

"Well, it's about time you remembered. All of our fellow classmates are going to be there; at least the ones who are spiritually aware. They've all been asking me, Inoue and Sado about what's happened to you. They haven't seen your face in two years Kurosaki. They deserve to know how you've been."

Ichigo took in Ishida's words and thought for a moment. He then took a deep breath.

"You're right Ishida; I have shut myself from my nakama for far too long. Just tell me where I need to go. I'll be there once business hours finish," he said.

Ichigo had been surprised when Ishida told him the location of the party. It was an outdoor café next to the square where Don Kanonji had performed his live 'exorcism' that went out of hand. Ichigo hadn't known it at the time, but that was the moment where his nakama had begun their contact with the spiritual world. It was a fitting place, Ichigo thought; to celebrate the anniversary of the day his involvement in the spiritual world had ended.

As he walked through the front entrance of the café, he spotted three very familiar faces who were sitting in a table by the window. As soon as they saw him, they got up from their seats and rushed toward him.

"Kurosaki-kun!" shouted Inoue Orihime in an excited voice. She hugged her arms tightly around Ichigo's body. "I've missed you so much!"

"Erm, yeah, I've missed you too, Inoue," said Ichigo, a little taken aback by Orihime's actions.

"It's good to see you again, Ichigo," said Chad. "How have you been?"

"I've been alright, I guess." Ichigo noticed that Orihime and Chad hadn't changed much since he last saw them five years ago. When he saw Ishida however, he was stunned at how different he looked. Ishida's hair was no longer black, but slightly grayish in colour; and his face had become more chiseled in appearance.

"Hey there Kurosaki. I was beginning to think you wouldn't show up," said Ishida.

"What happened to your hair, Ishida?" asked Ichigo.

"Premature graying. It's a genetic trait of my family. I should ask the same question about your hair. It's as long as it was when you lost your powers."

"Oh yeah, I hadn't noticed. I just didn't bother trimming it as I used to." Ichigo looked around the café and noticed that Chad, Orihime and Ishida were the only school mates that were present.

"Where are Tatsuki and the others? Are they coming?" he asked.

"They'll be here soon. Arisawa told me that she, Asano and Kojima got held up in traffic." At this point Ishida noticed something and turned his attention to the front door. "Speak of the devil, here they are." As soon as Ichigo turned his head, he made eye contact with Tatsuki, Keigo and Mizuiro. Though none of the three had changed much in outward in appearances, Ichigo felt something different about their inward beings.

"Tatsuki, Keigo, Mizuiro…" said Ichigo, before he was suddenly slapped in the face by Tatsuki.

"Where have you been Ichigo? We haven't seen you since the end of high school!" shouted Tatsuki. "Plus, you still owe us an explanation for all the shit that happened five years ago!"

"Um, didn't Ishida, Inoue or Sado tell you guys anything?" asked Ichigo.

"Ishida told us why you were running around dressed in those black robes, and we know a bit about that place called Soul Society. But we want to hear more from your own mouth Ichigo. What happened back then that made you shun yourself from us?" Ichigo thought for a moment about how he was going to respond. He glanced at Orihime and Chad, and saw them nod their heads. _I guess it is time for me to tell the truth_. He gave them a brief account of the events in Hueco Mundo, Fake Karakura Town and the outskirts of Rukongai, but left out most of the details concerning the Arrancars or Aizen Sousuke.

"In short, I sacrificed all of Shinigami powers to defeat the bad guy who had been chasing you. As a side effect of that sacrifice, I lost all of spiritual power. Now I am just an ordinary human. I can't even see spirits like you guys can."

"But surely that wouldn't make you not speak to us for the last two years," said Keigo.

"No, I was quite happy being an ordinary human. I was planning to keep contact with you guys when I went to Toudai, but something happened back home." Ichigo paused for a moment, trying to stop himself from being caught up in his own emotions. "Just as I was finishing my first year, my father suddenly left home without any explanation, and asked me to look after my sisters. But how could I protect them from hollows when I can't even see ordinary ghosts? And with their strong spiritual powers, Karin and Yuzu would be easy prey for hollows. For the past two years I've been frightened to even leave the house, less I lose them the same way I lost my mother and father."

As his nakama took in his words, they finally realized the enormous burden that Ichigo had been carrying, and what it meant for him to lose his powers.

"I'm sorry for scolding you Ichigo," said Tatsuki. "No wonder you've kept yourself from us. I can't imagine what it must be like to care for your sisters whilst worrying about their safety all the time."

Ichigo chatted with his nakama for another two hours before he decided it was time to head back. It was already dark outside, and Ichigo knew that Yuzu and Karin would already be anxious about him. He said goodbye to his friends and promised them that he would see them more often.

As he walked home, Ichigo started having second thoughts about being a normal human soul. The dreams and visions he had been experiencing recently weighed heavily in his mind. _I thought I was comfortable in not being a Shinigami, in not having to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders, in not having to be in fear of my own power. So why then do I constantly feel a deep regret in my heart? _He glanced at the palm of his hand and tried to clench it into a fist. _I can't protect Yuzu and Karin. Hell I can't even protect myself anymore. _The realization of his own powerlessness cut into Ichigo's heart like cold steel. _Maybe I desired to be a Shinigami. To be a being with the power to shatter the hand of fate. _He thought about his decision not to see his school friends once over the last two years and was disturbed by the fact he felt no sense of regret in not meeting them. He realized there was only person he longed to meet again. _Rukia…did I really forget about her? The person who changed my whole world, who gave me a purpose in life… I watched her disappear before my very own eyes, but that didn't mean she was gone forever. She could have been watching over me like a guardian angel, yet I've acted as if she never existed…_

A girl's scream broke Ichigo's introspection. He looked around and realized he was but a block away from home. Furthermore, the scream sounded familiar. To Ichigo it sounded like…

"Yuzu!" he exclaimed. He dashed around the corner and ran towards the house at break neck speak. As soon as he neared the house, he saw something that made him utterly shocked. Hanging dozens of feet above the ground and screaming for her dear life was Yuzu. Her hands appeared to be grasping something invisible and Ichigo noticed she was gasping for breath, as if something was constricting her neck.

He was so focused on the sight of Yuzu that he didn't see the bloodied figure nearby until he heard another girl's voice.

"Run…Onii-chan," croaked Karin. When Ichigo saw her body, a sense of dread came over him. Karin's legs were nothing more than bloodied stumps; and a large red gash streaked across her back. A pool of blood had formed beneath Ichigo couldn't sense spiritual pressure, he could still tell that her wounds weren't caused by an ordinary human; nor were they caused by a Shinigami. Only one being could have caused it: a hollow. _This can't be happening_, Ichigo thought. It was the outcome he feared the most since his father disappeared.

He glanced up at Yuzu again and saw the colour on the skin had started turning pale. _I'm not going to let her die_! Without a moment's thought he grabbed a stick nearby and ran towards Yuzu at breakneck speed.

"NO ONII-CHAN!" Ichigo heard Karin scream at the top of her voice. Nothing could have prepared Ichigo for what happened next. Without warning, a huge sharp object stabbed him in the back and ripped open his chest. Ichigo felt a moment of incredible pain, before darkness fell upon him…

Ichigo opened his eyes a second later, but found something wrong with his body. It felt far too light. It was when he looked down that he realized what had happened to him. There was a black hole in the centre of his chest, from which was attached a chain that extended for roughly three feet before it tapered off. _This must be a dream_, Ichigo thought to himself. But when he saw his mutilated body lying on the road nearby, he knew it wasn't a dream. He was actually dead. And now he could clearly see the creature that had killed him. It was a monstrous hollow, nearly forty feet high, with the face of a goat, two arms that tapered into gigantic razor sharp claws, and a serpentine tongue that was still grasped around Yuzu's neck.

But what shocked Ichigo was the sight of another Yuzu lying on the ground next to the hollow. This Yuzu also had a broken soul chain attached to her body. Ichigo realized she was already dead and the Yuzu the hollow was holding was nothing more than a corpse. The hollow also appeared to sense this fact, for to Ichigo's horror it devoured her entire body. With its mouth still drooling with blood, the hollow stomped towards the barely alive Karin and wrapped its tongue around her neck. When it tried to yank her in the air, the hollow inadvertently separated Karin's soul from her body. Her Konpaku, intact but unconscious, flopped to the ground, but Karin's mutilated body was devoured by the hollow in a sickening display.

"Karin! Yuzu!" shouted Ichigo. He willed his body to stand up, but he found himself weighed down by his soul chain. He tried instead to crawl to where Karin's soul lay, just as he watched the hollow completely devour what was left of his body. He barely crawled more than three yards before he lost all strength in his arms and legs. Ichigo closed his eyes in despair. _Why? Why is this happening to me again? I couldn't protect them…I couldn't even protect myself! Why am I so powerless? _He opened his eyes again and saw the hollow grab hold of Yuzu's Konpaku with its tongue. Ichigo lost all semblance of hope in his heart. If Yuzu's soul was devoured, she would be gone from existence. And Karin and himself would be next. Unable to control his own feelings, tears started streaming from Ichigo's eyes.

"Someone…anyone…help us!" he shouted. _I beg of you…_He closed his eyes, unable to bear watching his sister's soul get consumed.

Just then however, Ichigo felt the temperature in the air around him cool dramatically. Then, from somewhere nearby, he heard a voice chant the words "_Some no Mai, Hakuren_". A second later a huge blast of ice struck the hollow, snap freezing it an instant before it was about to swallow Yuzu's soul. _It can't be!_ Ichigo thought as he saw the sight of the frozen hollow. But then a figure that slowly appeared from the mist was unmistakable. _It was her_.

First a pair of sandals emerged, followed by a black Shihakusho. A Zanpakuto of pure white dangled from her right hand. And finally a face that was exactly the same as it was since the day he last saw her.

"Rukia…" Ichigo couldn't believe his eyes. She had finally reappeared before him, five years after she vanished from his existence. A ton of questions started forming in Ichigo's mind but they were all silenced when he saw Rukia's smile.

"Long time no see Ichigo," she said. She cast her attention to the frozen hollow for a moment. With her wave of her sword she shattered the ice along with the hollow. The action caused Yuzu's spirit to drop to the ground. Rukia then resealed her Zanpakuto before she knelt down in front of Ichigo.

"I'm so sorry that our reunion had to be like this," said Rukia. She examined Ichigo's soul chain for a moment before she gave a deep sigh of regret. "I wish I could have come a fraction earlier. I might have been able to save you and your sisters. But now it is too late." Ichigo knew what Rukia meant. He and his sisters' bodies had already been devoured by the hollow. There was no way for them to return to life. He watched as Rukia went over to check on the Konpaku of his sisters.

"How are they Rukia?" asked Ichigo.

"They're unconscious but their spiritual bodies are undamaged," said Rukia. "However, you and sisters can't stay in the world of the living for long."

"What do you mean?" asked Ichigo. Rukia pointed to Ichigo's soul chain.

"All of your soul chains are broken. You of all people should know what means." Ichigo suddenly remembered his experience in Urahara Kisuke's shattered shaft. He knew that he and his sisters would become hollows if they stayed in the world of the living eventually and when that happened Rukia would be forced to purify them.

"I have no wish to see you or your sisters turn into hollows," said Rukia. She grasped Ichigo's hands. "For if that happened, I would have to kill you with own hands. I don't think my heart would be able to bear it.

"So rather than letting you stay in the world of the living, I'll perform Konso on each of you and send you all to Soul Society. You'll be able to keep your Konpaku and retain your memories. Is that okay with you?" Ichigo considered Rukia's offer for a moment, before he realized that was the only acceptable alternative for him.

"Well, seeing as I'm going to end up in Soul Society either way, I'd prefer to keep my sense of identity," he said. "I accept your offer Rukia, but can you do me one favour?"

"What is it?"

"Please send my sisters and I to Soul Society together."

"That is fine with me. I was planning on doing so anyway," said Rukia with a smile. She dragged Yuzu and Karin's bodies beside Ichigo's. She proceeded to draw a white spiritual circle that surrounded the three of them. When the circle started glowing, Rukia planted seals on each of their foreheads with the pommel of her Zanpakuto. Finally, she stepped out of the circle and watched as Ichigo and his sisters' Konpaku started disappearing.

"When you get to Soul Society, just survive the best you can and wait for me," said Rukia. "I'll return to Soul Society myself shortly and when I do so, I'll try to find you again."

"Heh," Ichigo smiled. "I guess I shouldn't say goodbye just yet."

"Of course not," Rukia replied in a sarcastic tone.

"See you later." With that Ichigo felt his spiritual body disappear, and his presence transported across time and space.

Rukia watched as their Konpaku disintegrated and the spiritual circle faded away. _This isn't the end Ichigo. It's only the beginning. You put your life on the line to protect me many times before, so it is time for me to return the favour. I'll put my life on the line to protect you. Live Ichigo. Your life in the real world may have ended, but your life in Soul Society has just begun…_

_

* * *

_

Notes: This story is set after Chapter 423 of the Bleach Manga and assumes that Ichigo did not regain his powers. Isshin's whereabouts won't be revealed until much, much later down the track. For the next few chapters, the story will focus mostly on Ichigo and his sisters, but Rukia will feature in a prominent role.


	2. Chapter 2: Welcome to Soul Society

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

Chapter 2 Welcome to Soul Society

Rukia finished transmitting her report to the Secret Remote Squad's messenger unit about the night's incident and hung up on her soul pager. She scanned the area for the presence of other hollows but found none in the vicinity. She was just about to leave the scene when she felt several familiar presences nearby. She then heard some familiar voices.

"There's someone over there," said a male voice.

"Is that who I think it is?" asked another male voice.

"Oh my god, it's Kuchiki-san!" a high pitched female voice squeaked. Rukia turned her back, and her eyes widened in surprise. Walking towards her were three people she had come to regard as her nakama.

"Orihime, Chad, Uryu!" she exclaimed. She had never expected to bump into them again, and was unsure of how to respond. She was taken aback when Orihime gave her a bear hug.

"It's so good to see you again Kuchiki-san," said Orihime. "We've missed you so much."

"It's good to see you too Orihime," Rukia replied.

"What brought you here Kuchiki-san?" asked Ishida. "I know you're not the regular Shinigami who is patrolling Karakura Town."

"Wait Uryu, there's something wrong here," said Chad. He pointed to the building in front of them. "Isn't that Ichigo's house?"

"You're right, it is Kurosaki-san's house," said Orihime. She, Chad and Ishida were horrified at the huge amount of blood that lay splattered on the street right in front of the house.

"What the hell happened here?" asked Ishida.

"I don't sense Ichigo's reiatsu," said Chad. They stared at Rukia, who silently regretted what she was about to tell them.

"This isn't going to be easy for you to hear guys, but you must hear it," she said. She took a deep breath before continuing. "Ichigo and his sisters are dead. They were attacked and eaten by a hollow." As she expected, Orihime, Chad and Ishida were utterly shell-shocked, though they expressed their emotions in different ways. Chad remained silent but bands of sweat started forming around his brow. Orihime broke down and started crying. Ishida immediately had a lot of questions he wanted to know.

"When did this happen?" he asked.

"I'm not quite sure, but I arrived here about an hour ago," Rukia replied. "Sadly, they were already dead by the time I got here, and all I managed to do was to save their Konpaku from being eaten by the hollow. Their living bodies were nowhere to be found."

"What did you do with them then?"

"I performed Konso on Ichigo and his sisters. They should already be in Soul Society."

"Then Kurosaki is officially dead then," said Ishida in a blunt tone.

"No…Kurosaki-kun," cried Orihime. "I can't believe it." Rukia tried to console her the best she could.

"Why was Ichigo attacked by a hollow?" asked Chad. "He didn't have any reiatsu."

"I'm not sure," Rukia replied. "Perhaps the hollow was drawn to his sisters. However, there is something strange about all of this. I know Ichigo's father is also a Shinigami. He would have easily killed the hollow if he was with Ichigo's sisters. But I don't sense his presence at all." She looked at Chad, Orihime, and Ishida, who all remained silent for a moment.

"Kurosaki told me his father left the house roughly two years ago and has never come back. He left Kurosaki in charge of the house." said Ishida.

"Kurosaki-kun had to care for his two sisters. He worked so hard he didn't have time to see us at all," said Orihime. "He told us he was too afraid that his sisters would be attacked by a hollow if he left the house without them."

"I see..." said Rukia. She began feeling sorrow and empathy in her heart. "I can't imagine what Ichigo must have gone through. To live with the knowledge that he couldn't protect his sisters from the hollows."

"Are you planning to stay here, Rukia-san?" asked Chad.

"No, I plan on returning to Soul Society soon. I just have to wait for the Secret Remote Squad to arrive. They'll clear up this entire scene so that no ordinary humans will find out about the blood stains. They'll also come up with a plausible story to present to the human authorities. Unfortunately, I must leave it to the three of you to break the news of their deaths to your fellow nakama."

'I understand Kuchiki-san," Orihime nodded. She stared at the night sky. "I just hope Kurosaki-san is okay." Rukia and the others also stared into the night sky.

"I'm sure he's doing fine at the moment."

* * *

Ichigo slowly opened his eyes. He saw blue skies overheard. He turned his head to the side and saw a clump of trees nearby.

"Urgh, where am I?" he asked himself as he struggled to sit upright. After taking a good look around he saw that the clump of trees formed the outskirts of a forest. On the opposite side a vast plain of grass and dirt stretched as far as the eye could see. In between the forest and the plain was a dirt road that appeared to run parallel to the edge of the forest. The scenery reminded Ichigo of the place where he had fought the final battle against Aizen but he had absolutely no clue about which part of the seemingly endless Rukongai he was in.

Ichigo heard a voice moan nearby. He turned his head and saw that it was Yuzu. He quickly went by her side and watched as she opened her eyes.

"Onii-chan?" she asked.

"I'm here Yuzu," said Ichigo. He helped Yuzu to sit up.

"Where…are we? And what happened to us? All I remember is that monster wrapping its tongue around my neck." Ichigo didn't want to frighten Yuzu but he knew it was better to tell the true.

"I hate to say this Yuzu but you and I are in the afterlife."Yuzu froze in shock and her body started trembling.

"We're…in the afterlife? Does this mean…we're dead?"

"I am afraid so. That monster which attacked you was a hollow. It killed and ate our bodies. Our souls were saved by a Shinigami who sent us here. Do you what this place is?"

"I…think I do. I remember what the girl who once lived with us-I think her name was Rukia-chan-told me and Karin-nii. She told us about the place called Soul Society, where these people dressed in black robes lived who killed ghosts and monsters. This…looks like the place she described" Ichigo was amused at Yuzu's description.

"You almost got all of it Yuzu-chan. This is the Soul Society. The girl who lived with us was a Shinigami. They kill monsters like the who which attacked us, but they also guide dead souls to the afterlife," Ichigo explained. "The Shinigami who sent us here was the same girl who lived with us." Yuzu was surprised to hear this.

"Then Rukia-san saved us from the hollow? But, where is she now?"

"She has her own business to take care of, but I am sure we will see her again. For now, we must worry about ourselves," said Ichigo. At this moment he suddenly realized he was missing something. "Oh shit, where's Karin?"

"I don't see her around," said Yuzu. They searched around frantically but could find no sign of her. Ichigo slammed his fist against a tree in frustration.

"Damn it all! I'll never be able to find Karin!" he swore. "This place is too damn big! Who knows where she might be now?"

"Um, Onii-chan, there's something here you might want to see," said Yuzu. She pointed to a foot print on the dirt road. Ichigo looked at the foot print carefully and saw that a line of similar footprints leading away from it, along the dirt road.

"These footprints don't look like mine or yours Yuzu. And from the looks of it, they all begin at this point."

"Look Onii-chan, there's the outline of a body nearby!" Yuzu exclaimed. Ichigo inspected the outline, which was close to the outlines he and Yuzu had made, and then looked at the footprints, which appeared to start from the outline.

'There's no doubt about it," said Ichigo. "Karin must have awakened before we did. She must have been unable to wake us up and in a panic tried to find help. The footprints look fresh, so they're probably quite recent. This means Karin can't have walked far." He turned to Yuzu, who nodded in agreement.

"Let's go find Karin-nee," she said.

Karin's trail was not very hard for Ichigo and Yuzu to follow. Her marks remained clearly visible on the road despite occasional breaks and overlapping footprints. The continued along the dirt road for a while as it skirted around the outskirts of the forest. But then they encountered an intersection. The dirt road they had walked along continued in what Ichigo could make out was a westerly direction. Running perpendicular to that road was another road which cut across the grass land plains and into the forest. At this point, Karin's footprints changed direction and followed the road into the forest.

"Looks like Karin went into the forest," said Ichigo. "I wonder what made her do that."

"Look Onii-chan, I see footprints that don't belong to Karin-nii," Yuzu pointed out. Ichigo inspected the road closely and saw that there were indeed different from the footprints that Karin made. These were about the same size as Ichigo's foot, and appeared to be coming from the road that headed across the grass plain. Upon closer inspection Ichigo noticed there were actually two different sets of footprints. Ichigo examined the point where the two sets of footprints and Karin's footprints intersected and saw there was a jumble of footprints. What worried Ichigo the most however was that the two sets of footprints also appeared to head into the forest.

"Have you found anything yet Onii-chan?" asked Yuzu.

"I might have, Yuzu-chan," Ichigo replied. He pointed to the other two sets of footprints. "From what I can gather Karin must have met two other men that had been walking along the other road. They must have stopped at this point, for their footprints are all messed up. I'm not sure what happened but it looks as if Karin ran into the forest and the two men followed after her."

"Oh no! Karin-nii could be in trouble! What are we going to do Onii-chan?"

"We're going to find her of course. And save her from whoever is chasing after her." Ichigo clenched his fists tightly. Despite his lack of spiritual power, he was brimming with resolve and confidence. He gave a reassuring smile to Yuzu, who smiled back.

"Let's go." The two of them followed Karin's trail. The road through the forest was surprisingly straight and was wide enough for three people to walk side by side. The trees on either side of the road had been cleared enough so that the path was free of any fallen branches, logs or leaves. The surface of the road was still relatively dry, which meant any footprints that had been made by others were clearly visible.

After a while the trees on both sides of the road seemed to thin out, as if the forest was coming near an end. Most importantly for Ichigo and Yuzu, they noticed that the tracks they had been following were becoming far more clear and visible, indicating that they had been freshly made.

"I think we're close to Karin-nee Onii-chan," said Yuzu enthusiastically. Ichigo nodded. He quickened their pace and started scanning the vicinity in case he caught any sign of her.

They soon reached a clearing in the forest. In the distance they could see a set of thatched houses. At this point the footprints they had followed diverted off the main road and headed towards those houses.

"Karin must have ran for those houses over there," said Ichigo. He and Yuzu followed the footprints. When they were within fifty yards of the houses they started hearing voices nearby. Two of those voices sounded like men, but a third voice was clearly a woman's. And what was more it was a voice Ichigo and Yuzu knew well.

"That's Karin-nee's scream!" exclaimed Yuzu. As soon as he heard her voice, Ichigo ran at breakneck speed towards the house. As he skirted around the first house he was stopped in his tracks by what he saw. Barely ten feet away and right next to the front door of a house, two ugly looking men stood hunched over the prone figure of Karin. One of the men brandished a knife in his hands, whilst the other had grabbed hold of Karin's right arm. When Ichigo looked at Karin closely, he gasped when he realized that her shirt had been torn open and her chest was bare. When he watched the man with the knife shifting his gaze to Karin's trousers, Ichigo knew what they were planning to do her.

"Get off me you bastards!" Karin swore.

"Calm down little girl. We're going to do you slowly. It's going to be the most amazing experience you're ever going to have," said the man grabbing hold of her arm.

Ichigo had heard enough. Without a moment's thought he landed a full force punch on the cheek of the man grabbing hold of Karin's arm. The impact of the punch sent the man crashing into the man with the knife, causing both of them to topple onto each other.

"Ichi-nii!" exclaimed Karin. "Thank god you found me!"

"Save the sweet talk for later Karin," said Ichigo. "These goons aren't finished yet." He watched as the man holding the knife pushed the other man, who appeared to be unconscious, off him and climbed to his feet.

"Who the fuck are you?" he asked in a vulgar tone. "How dare you fuck around with our prey! I'm going to make you wish you hadn't fucking messed with us!" He brandished the knife in front of him, clearing attempting to intimidate Ichigo. When Ichigo wasn't fazed at all, the man charged at him and lunged at his face. Ichigo side-stepped his blow and grabbed hold of his right arm and twisted it behind the man's back. The man screamed in agony.

"That 'prey' of yours is my sister," said Ichigo. He stared into the man's eyes. "You were going to rape her weren't you?" The man struggled to break free of Ichigo's grip. He spat into Ichigo's face. Ichigo wasn't fazed in the slightest and continued to glare at the man.

"You utterly disgust me," he said. With his left fist he punched the man in the face. The punch was so hard he broke the other man's nose. The man screamed in agony as blood spewed out. Ichigo finished him by landing a second punch against the man's forehead that toppled him over. He heard a 'crack' sound as the man fell onto his back. Ichigo inspected him and realized he was dead. Strangely, Ichigo felt absolutely no remorse at all.

"Huh, looks like that last punch of mine shattered his skull," said Ichigo. He inspected the other man and found that he was unconscious but still alive. As neither man had any useful items on them, the only thing Ichigo pilfered was the knife. He then went back to Karin. She was still lying on her back, but Yuzu was sitting beside her.

"Are you alright Karin?" asked Ichigo. Karin nodded.

"Thank you for saving me Onii-chan," said Karin. "I feared I was going to die."

"How could you run off like that Karin-chan!" exclaimed Yuzu in exasperation. "Do you know how much effort it took to find you?" Karin was happy at Yuzu scolding her.

"I'm so sorry Onii-chan, Yuzu-nee," she said. Tears started forming in her eyes. "I was such a fool to leave you both behind and walk by myself."

"It's okay Karin," said Ichigo as he hugged her tightly in his arms. "I forgive you. Just promise that you'll never leave our sight again." He stood up and faced his sisters.

"The three of us must stick together no matter what happens from now on. We've got no one to depend upon except each other. As long as you stay beside me, we will survive in this land." Both Karin and Yuzu understood Ichigo's words.

Ichigo helped Karin to her feet as he asked Yuzu to strip the shirt off the dead man. She gave it to Ichigo who draped the shirt around Karin in order to cover her chest.

"Come on, we'd better start moving," said Ichigo. "Hopefully we can find some place to stay." The three of them left the group of houses behind and continued walking down the road through the forest. As they walked, Ichigo knew that they were going to be in for a long and tough time ahead. He just prayed that some day he would meet Rukia again.

* * *

Notes: I apologize if the scene involving Karin is a little too explicit, but this scene is essential for establishing Ichigo's character development in these first few chapters. Keen Bleach readers will note that Inuzuri was Rukia and Renji lived in when they were children.


	3. Chapter 3: District 78 Inuzuri

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 3 District 78 Inuzuri

Karin fell onto her side. She, Ichigo and Yuzu had walked for several miles since they left the abandoned houses. Though the road was getting rougher, Ichigo didn't think the going had been difficult. He and Yuzu tended to Karin. They tried feeling her body to see what was wrong with her.

"Onii-chan, Karin's got a fever!" exclaimed Yuzu. Ichigo was perplexed that a fever could have developed so quickly. They had only walked for one or two hours at the most and from what he saw Karin hadn't been injured by the men who had attacked her. But then he placed his hand over Karin's chest and felt a weak but definite spiritual presence and realized what had happened to her.

"What's going on with Karin-nee?" asked Yuzu.

"She's low on spirit energy. She must have expended a great deal when she was running from the men who chased after her," said Ichigo.

"What shall we do Ichi-nii?"

"We must find some food somewhere. As a soul with reiatsu, she requires food to sustain her energy. In short, she is very tired and spent at the moment."

"But how come you're not tired Onii-chan? You used all of your strength to defeat those two men," Yuzu pointed out. Upon hearing her words Ichigo glanced at the palm of his hand.

"I don't have any spirit energy Yuzu. That means I won't get tired even if I do a lot of physical activity," he explained. "I'll carry Karin on my back for now but we have to find some food for her soon."

Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu continued on the path through the forest, desperately hoping they'd find someone who was friendly. All three of them were nearing their limit. Karin's fever was worsening by the minute. Ichigo was struggling to carry her on his back. And Yuzu, despite not having as much reiatsu as Karin did, was also beginning to feel tired.

Just when they were about to give up, their hearts lifted when they spotted a small cottage in the distance. As they got closer to it, their hearts brightened up further when they saw the forest open up in front of them.

"Look Onii-chan, we've finally reached the end of this forest!" exclaimed Yuzu.

"Indeed. But first let's see if there's anyone living here," said Ichigo. He placed Karin on the ground first before he went to the front door and knocked on it.

"Hello there! Anyone home?" Ichigo called out. He wasn't expecting a response and for a moment there wasn't one. But then the door slowly swung open and Ichigo was surprised to see a frail old woman. She had gray hair and was dressed in a plain brown kimono.

"Oh my, I never expected to get visitors knocking at my door," she said in a friendly voice. "Can I help you with anything?" Ichigo quickly carried Karin in his arms and showed her to the woman.

"Please help us old lay, my sister's in a very ill state. Is there anything you can do?" asked Ichigo.

"Let me see what's wrong with her first," she said. She had a thorough look over Karin's body before she let out a slight exclamation. "Oh dear me, her reiatsu is extremely weak. Did she expend a lot of spirit energy?" Ichigo nodded.

"She was chased and attacked by two bandits. I managed to rescue her in time." The old woman was surprised to hear this but when she noticed Ichigo and Yuzu's clothes she immediately understood.

"Of course, judging by those clothes of yours, you must be newcomers," she said.

"Newcomers?" asked Ichigo. He was a tad confused.

"People who are new to Rukongai, normally those who have died recently. They are very easy prey for unscrupulous men, especially vulnerable girls who are alone."

"I understand what you mean."

"Well then, it would be heartless of me not to offer you hospitality!" the woman chuckled. "Please come in. I'll treat you all to some tea." Ichigo and his sisters were allowed inside the cottage. There was not much room inside, barely enough for a bed, a round coffee table, and a small fireplace/kitchen where a kettle full of water could be boiled. Ichigo laid Karin down on the bed whilst he and Yuzu sat around the table. When the kettle finished boiling the woman poured out some tea for Ichigo and Yuzu. She then got out some rice balls from a shelf under the kitchen sink and carefully fed them to Karin before joining Ichigo and Yuzu around the table.

"Obaa-san, is she going to be okay?" asked Yuzu.

"She'll be fine. The food I gave her will restore her spiritual energy. She'll wake up in about an hour's time," said the old woman. Yuzu and Ichigo breathed a sigh of relief.

"You seem to live in very modest circumstances old lady," said Ichigo. The woman chuckled.

"It's good enough for me. My husband passed away several years ago. He left me with a large store of money and food. Both have been enough for my needs. I don't have any reiatsu myself so there is really no need for me to eat the food unless I felt like it. And I'm not one for material possessions. But I am curious about you children. How did people as young as you end up here?" In response to her question, Ichigo briefly explained to the woman the circumstances of their deaths. She seemed deeply touched by his story.

"My, my, that is a very tragic story. I am saddened by your deaths," she said. "What makes it more unfortunate is that you ended up in this part of Rukongai, of all places."

"What do you mean, obaa-san?" asked Ichigo.

"Do you know that the Rukongai is divided into four quadrants, with each quadrant divided further into eighty districts?"

"Oh yeah, someone told me that fact once before."

"Well then, you're currently in district 78th of South Rukongai. The locals like to call it 'Inuzuri', which means hanging dog. As one of the most remote districts from Seireitei, we seldom get Shinigami patrolling here. Sadly, this means the district is full of murderers, bandits and other low-lives. Seeing as you're all newcomers, I shall offer you a word of advice. You should head for one of the larger towns. They tend to be much safer than the countryside. There's a town just down the road from here. There's a lot of people living there and I'm sure you'll be able to find a place to stay."

"Thanks for the advice Obaa-san."

"One more thing. Those clothes of yours will mark you out as newcomers. Many of the townsfolk there look down on people who are new to the district," said the woman. She handed Ichigo and Yuzu three sets of peasant clothes. One was Ichigo's size, the other two were slightly smaller. "If you wear these, you'll be able to blend in with the locals." Ichigo thanked the woman for everything she had done for them.

After Karin regained consciousness an hour later, the three of them said goodbye to the old woman and walked down the road. They followed the woman's advice and swapped the real world clothes they had been wearing with the peasant clothes. For all intents and purposes, Ichigo and his sisters looked like ordinary Rukongai folk. Ichigo hoped they wouldn't attract much attention.

The 'town' the old woman spoke of was indeed a short distance down the road, but Ichigo was surprised at how large it was. It looked more like a city than a town, for there were a multitude of houses everywhere. As the road from the forest entered the town it became a main thoroughfare that was buzzing with activity. Both sides of the street were packed with shop front stores that sold groceries, clothes, utensils and other items. Store vendors shouted out their wares and haggled with buyers. Little children scurried about playing pranks on adults. The few elderly people Ichigo could see sat beside doorways smoking cigars or drinking sake. Everywhere he looked, Ichigo saw signs that that this town, if he could still call it that, was one of the commercial centers of this Rukongai district.

They wandered through the town for quite some time before Ichigo realized it was getting dark. The shop owners that he saw were closing for the day as well.

"Onii-chan, we should find somewhere to stay," said Yuzu.

"You're right Yuzu. I just hope someone in this joint is kind enough to offer us a place," said Ichigo. He hadn't been optimistic when he made that statement, so he wasn't surprised when after nearly an hour of wandering the streets knocking random houses, they hadn't encountered anyone who was willing to let them in for the night. A few of the people they encountered became aggressive towards them, with one man actually threatening to gut them with a katana.

By the time the sky got completely dark and the streets became empty Ichigo and his sisters still hadn't found a place to stay. Knowing that they couldn't possibly stay awake for the whole night, Ichigo desperately searched for a space large enough for them to sleep in. He managed to find a worn down shed in an alleyway between two large buildings. The entrance to the shed was so small that Ichigo could barely fit through but it was large enough on the inside for all three of them to lie down. Already exhausted after one incredibly long day, they all lied down on the floor. Yuzu and Karin stayed close to Ichigo.

"I miss home Onii-chan," said Yuzu. "I don't like it here."

"I know Yuzu. I miss our old home too," said Ichigo. "But we're here now, and there's nothing we can do about it. We'll have to make do the best we can."

When they woke up the next morning, Ichigo knew their most pressing need was to secure some food so that neither Karin nor Yuzu would go hungry. The shed was an adequate accommodation for the moment but Ichigo also knew that they had to find something better eventually.

As the local shop vendors started opening their store fronts for the day, Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu took their chances at begging various people for food. They tried asking the customers who bought food from the vendors and they tried asking from the vendors themselves. Not once were they offered anything. A few of the shop vendors even waved swords at them before they sensibly stayed away. By mid-noon all three of them were completely exhausted. Ichigo led his sisters back to the shed.

"I can't believe we didn't get anything," said Karin. "The people in this town are so heartless."

"It can't be helped. This is one of the most lawless districts after all," said Ichigo. "I have no doubt that that most of the people here care only for their self interest."

"Maybe we should go back to that old baa-san," said Yuzu. Ichigo shook his head.

"We have to survive on our own Yuzu. That old lady helped us more than we deserved. It would be unconscionable for us to request further assistance from her."

"Well, have you got any other suggestions?" Karin asked her brother. "Yuzu and I are going to starve if we can't find something to eat."

Ichigo considered his options and sighed when he realized he didn't have many. Begging others for food clearly didn't work, as he doubted anyone would be willing to give them something for free. And going back to the old woman's cottage was out of the question. There was only one realistic method left, but Ichigo didn't like it. Still, he conceded it was worth a try.

"Alright, I've figured out a way for us to get food from those shop owners," he said. "We'll try to steal it from them." Both Yuzu and Karin were stunned at Ichigo's suggestions.

"But that would be breaking the law!" Yuzu protested.

"Yuzu, I doubt the people here abide by any laws, especially not the laws that apply in the real world," said Ichigo. "If we're to survive, we must resort to desperate measures."

"Heh, you amaze me Ichi-nii," Karin smirked. "I never would have thought you'd be audacious enough to come up with something like this."

"If this was the real world, then of course not. But remember; I went against the whole of Soul Society once to save a friend, and broke probably a thousand of their laws. So going beyond the law here is nothing to me. Now then, I want you to listen carefully. Here is how we're going to do it…"

With an innocent, almost hapless expression on her face, Yuzu went up to a fruit grocer and held out her arms. The grocer was a burly man with a thick beard.

"Please sir, can you spare some food for me?" she asked.

"Go away little girl," barked the man. "I don't give food to people who don't have any money."

"But sir, I am poor and homeless. I haven't eaten in days." Yuzu continued to pester the man, causing a great deal of annoyance. What the man didn't know was that Yuzu was a diversion Karin and Ichigo had used the opportunity presented by the grocer's fixation on Yuzu to sneak in from the other side. As the grocer completely turned his back from them, they sprung up and hastily grabbed as much as they could. Ichigo snatched a watermelon whilst Karin grabbed hold of a bunch of bananas and apples.

"Alright let's run!" Ichigo called to Karin and Yuzu. The three of them scampered off just as the grocer noticed he'd been robbed.

"Thieves! How dare you nick off with my precious belongings!" he shouted. "I'm going to get you!" By the time the man called for guards, Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu had already ducked around a street corner. They ran back to their shed and ducked inside, hoping that no one was chasing after them. When it was certain that they weren't being followed, Ichigo and his sisters finally examined their spoils.

"Wow, look at how much fruit we stole!" Yuzu exclaimed.

"This will be enough to last for the whole of today at least," said Ichigo.

"I can't believe how easily we pulled it off," Karin grinned.

Over the next few days Ichigo and his sisters continued the same trick, using Yuzu as a decoy to give Ichigo and Karin the opening to steal as much stuff as they could. They alternated the vendors and the parts of town they targeted so that no shop owner would remember their faces. For a while, it seemed to Ichigo that they would be able to survive like this for the long term. But one day their luck with the plan run out. Just as they made off with several loaves of bread and rounded a street corner, Ichigo and his sisters stopped in their tracks when they found their path blocked by five men wielding katanas.

"We've got you at last you strawberry punk," said one of the men. "You and those brats have been stolen enough from us." Ichigo turned his back and saw the men who had been chasing them catch up to them. _Shit we're cornered_. Just then, he noticed an alley to the right.

"Follow me Yuzu, Karin!" he shouted. Before the armed men could react Ichigo and his sisters raced down the alley. They only managed a head start of ten seconds before the men chased after them. The alley turned onto a main street and Ichigo and his sisters hoped to get as far as they could so that the men would lose sight of them. As they ran down the street the three of them bumped past an old man carrying a walking stick. Ichigo paid no attention to him but the old man stared back at them until they disappeared from his sight.

Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu crisscrossed several blocks before they finally reached the shed.

"Have we lost them?" asked Karin.

"I think so," Yuzu replied. But then they heard the sound of many footsteps coming towards them. Soon enough they saw the same group of men coming around a corner.

"Shit they've found us!" swore Ichigo. He was now cursing to himself that they had picked an alley that led to a dead-end. There was no way for them to escape now. He turned to Karin and Yuzu.

"Stay inside both of you. Do not show your faces. I'll try to hold them off," he said.

"Are you insane Ichi-nii? There are ten of them! And they all carry swords!" shouted Karin. Ichigo took out the knife he had been carrying and realized he needed a better weapon. Fate seemed to smile on him when he spotted a katana hanging from a rack nearby. It was tied to the rack by a long white rope that seemed to be attached to the pommel. Ichigo undid the rope around the rack and grabbed the katana in his hands. He stepped onto the main street and faced the group of men.

"There he is! That's the strawberry punk!" one of the men shouted.

"Look! He's carrying a sword!" another man exclaimed.

"Does he intend to fight us? He's got a death wish then," said a third man. The group of men all laughed. Sweat flowed down Ichigo's brow. He knew what he was doing amounted to insanity. But he had absolutely no choice. He could not afford let them find Karin and Yuzu, no matter the cost.

_If only I could regain some of my strength_, Ichigo thought to himself. He dug deep down into his heart and summoned whatever courage and resolve he had. _I may be powerless but I'm not going down without a fight_. He stood his ground as he saw the armed men charge at him. _Remember, what you've been taught_. Ichigo shifted his stance and presented a firm guard. _All the battles you've been through_. His eyes searched out the weaknesses of his opponents. _Watt for the moment to strike!_

Ichigo raised his sword and blocked the attack of the first man. He riposted and sliced the man across the chest.

"What the fuck?" the other men were speechless. They couldn't believe that one of them had been beaten so easily. "Get him!" To Ichigo's horror they all attacked him at once. He had been darn lucky with the first man that his reflexes and physical strength alone had enabled him to win. But a succession of sword thrusts and swings in a row was too much for him to cope with. He managed to block two or three attacks but the rest slipped under his guard and started cutting him across the arms, the chest and the legs. Ichigo groaned in pain as his blood splattered onto his street. The pressure the men were exerting upon him caused Ichigo drop his guard for a brief moment. It was all that one of the men needed to cut a huge slash right down the side of Ichigo's torso. A massive amount of blood spewed out from the wound, and Ichigo no longer had the strength to stand up. He fell onto his knees before falling face forwards onto the ground.

_I knew it was a hopeless endeavor from the start…I should have never taken them on. _

Ichigo felt the nine men surround him. _Is this it then for me? Am I going to die here? _He heard them readying their swords for the kill. _Alone, in the middle of this slum, forgotten by everyone I once knew?_ He braced himself for the end. But then another voice in his head interrupted Ichigo's monologue. _No! You must not give in! What about Karin and Yuzu? Who will protect them if you die? You're their protector!_ Ichigo didn't know where the other voice had come from but it stirred something within the depths of his soul. _Yes, of course! If I die, they'll go after Karin and Yuzu! If I lose, it'll be all over. I can't afford to die. I can't afford to lose. Not here. Not now. Get up. Get up. I must protect them. I must beat these guys. I must win! Give me the strength to do so!_ A white flash of light suddenly burst in his mind.

The nine armed men froze in shock. Just as they were about to kill Ichigo, they felt a wave of spiritual pressure descend upon them. Almost all of them fell onto their knees as their bodies buckled under the immense weight of the sudden surge of reiatsu. To their astonishment, they saw Ichigo's body glow a bright blue in colour. Unable to even speak let alone move, they watched as Ichigo slowly got up. The men couldn't believe their eyes. By all rights the guy should have been almost dead, or so they thought. Now he was standing on two feet again and was seemingly unaffected by his wounds.

The wave of reiatsu dissipated and the glow around Ichigo's body disappeared. The nine men all got to their feet and tried to dismiss what they had seen as an illusion.

"I can't believe he managed to get up," said one of the men.

"Dude's just damn lucky, that's all," said another man.

"This time, we cut off his head first. He won't be getting up after that," said a third man. They all felt confident that they could take him on. But unbeknownst to them, Ichigo was now a completely different person. He had somehow regained a fraction of the spiritual powers he once had and the reiatsu he now possessed was more than enough to take these ordinary human souls on. His resolve to win was greater than ever.

The nine men had no idea what they were in for. Before any of them could react, Ichigo was upon them. He stabbed one man right through the chest and quickly sliced the chest of the man next to him. Before they fell to the ground Ichigo landed a huge diagonal slash on a third man, almost cutting him in half. A fourth man lunged at his head, but Ichigo grabbed the sword with his left hand, as he stabbed him in the eye. The remaining five men were completely shell shocked at what had just happened. Four of their comrades had been cut down within seconds by a guy they thought was almost dead.

"He's a monster!" one man shrieked. When Ichigo glared his eyes at them, all five men panicked. Like a bunch of cowards they tried to run away. But Ichigo chased them down, just as they had chased him and his sisters down. As a horde of shocked onlookers watched, Ichigo slashed and stabbed his way through the remaining five men until their bodies were covered with blood. As he stood over them, Ichigo reveled in his triumph. _I won_, he thought. _I beat them_. _Karin and Yuzu are safe_.

A second later, Ichigo lost consciousness and collapsed onto the ground again. Of the onlookers who had been watching, an old man with a cane went beside Ichigo's body…

* * *

Notes: I thank everyone who has sent reviews in so far. I've been surprised at the good reception this story has gotten.

Nb Byakua's sakura petal: When Ichigo lost his powers it affected his spiritual body. It had no read effect on his human body. So if he died he'd just be an ordinary soul.

As to how Ichigo managed to regain some of his spiritual powers, this will be something that will be explored in future chapters.


	4. Chapter 4: The Old Hermit

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 4 The Old Hermit

The Seireimon opened. From out of the spirit gates a butterfly appeared. Then the Shinigami Kuchiki Rukia stepped out. She waited for a moment as the gates closed and the Seireimon disappeared. Rukia observed her surroundings for a moment. It was good to be back. Seireitei, the magnificent walled city, was as beautiful as ever.

The Seireimon she had used was a local gate that belonged to the 13th division. In the past Rukia would have used the giant Seireimon that was operated on by the 1st division to pass from Soul Society to the real world. But now she found it more convenient to use the smaller gate as she could enter and leave Soul Society discretely.

It was only a short distance from the Seireimon point before Rukia reached the barracks of the Gotei 13's 13th division. Waiting outside the front door were two of Rukia's fellow division members, both of them female. As they saw her they waved their arms excitedly.

"Welcome back, Lieutenant Kuchiki," said the girl on the left.

"Yes, it's good to be back," said Rukia.

"How was your trip Lieutenant Kuchiki?" asked girl on the right.

"It was alright." The two squad members opened the front door of the barracks and let Rukia inside. She hurried to the captain's office, bypassing numerous other division members who all greeted her with smiles. As she walked by, Rukia thought to herself at how times had changed at the 13th division. A little more than five years ago, she was barely recognised by her fellow division members outside of the captain, and those who did acknowledge her did so more out of fear of her family's reputation and her notoriety as a former class 1 criminal. But after her heroic exploits in the Arrancar Wars, she had finally received the recognition she deserved, and at the request of her captain she had been promoted to the prestigious position of division Lieutenant, the second highest ranking member. When she first received her promotion, Rukia had been overcome with emotion at stepping into the shoes of her former idol, the late Shiba Kaien. But she had quickly adjusted to the responsibilities of her rank.

After several minutes of walking, Rukia finally reached the captain's office, where she was greeted by two old faces.

"Rukia-chan! It's so good to see you again!" said Kotsukabi Sentaro excitedly.

"I've missed you Rukia-chan," said Kotetsu Kiyone as she hugged Rukia. Rukia was glad to see the two of them again. In a quirk that was unusual to the 13th division, both Sentaro and Kiyone were 3rd seats, their captain still unable to decide which one was more deserving of the rank. Rukia still found this fact funny sometimes.

"Is the Taicho in?" she asked. Sentaro and Kiyone nodded. They opened the door and allowed Rukia to walk inside. Sitting behind a desk at the opposite end of the office was a sickly pale man with long white hair, dressed in a white haori. He was in the process of writing a document but when he heard the door open he looked up.

"Oh, Kuchiki-san, you're back already?" asked the 13th division Captain, Ukitake Jushiro. "I thought you wouldn't be coming back for another week." Since Rukia's promotion to Lieutenant, the relationship between the captain and her had changed. Before Ukitake regarded her as his misguided daughter. Now he regarded her as his trusted confidant.

"So how was your visit to the real world?" asked Ukitake as Rukia sat down in a chair. "Were you able to meet your nakama?"

"Um well, I did see most of them, but…" Rukia trailed off. The tone of her voice made Ukitake instantly suspect something had gone wrong.

"What is it? Did something happen?" Rukia bit her tongue as she felt a nervous anxiety rush up her throat. The memories of that night were still fresh in her mind.

"K…Kurosaki Ichigo is dead," she said. It took all of her willpower for Rukia not to burst out in tears. The news completely stunned Ukitake.

"What? How? When did that happen?"

"I went to visit the Kurosaki residence about half a day after I arrived in Karakura Town. When I got there, I found myself gazing at a huge hollow right outside their house. I killed the hollow but I found out it had already killed and eaten Ichigo and his sisters. Had I come a moment later it would have eaten their souls too."

"I see," said Ukitake. He considered what he had heard from Rukia. "I praise your quick thinking in such a difficult moment. So what did you do with Kurosaki and his sisters?"

"Well, their soul chains were already cut, so I couldn't let them stay in the living world. So I performed Konso on them and sent all three to Soul Society," said Rukia. "They should have arrived in the Rukongai a few days ago."

"And what did you do after that?"

"I met with Inoue, Ishida, Sado and some of Ichigo's other friends and helped them arrange a funeral for Ichigo and his sisters. I stayed to watch the funeral but after it finished I decided to head back." After Rukia finished her report, she watched as Ukitake started jotting down notes in another book.

"I'm going to record everything you said and report it to the Sotaicho," said Ukitake.

"Um, Taicho, can I request a favour from you?" asked Rukia. Ukitake was willing to hear her question.

"I…want to search for Ichigo. I promised him that I would find him in Rukongai once I got back. I was thinking of arranging some accommodation for him."

"That seems like a good idea. But there's one problem," Ukitake pointed out. "You know how huge Rukongai is Kuchiki. There's no telling which district Kurosaki might have ended up. It could take you months of searching." Rukia felt sadness in her heart. She knew she couldn't afford to take a leave of absence for that long a period.

Just as Rukia was about to ask her captain for permission to retire, a messenger from the Onimitsukidou's messenger unit entered the office.

"Yes, what is it?" asked Ukitake as the messenger bowed in front of him.

"Sir, we received a report about an unusual incident that happened in the 78th district of South Rukongai about fifteen hours ago, " the messenger responded. "Witnesses reported that a young man with 'strawberry' coloured hair singlehandedly fought and killed ten armed men by himself. They also reported being overcome by an enormous surge of reiatsu."

"You said it was a man with 'strawberry' coloured hair. Did the witnesses give an accurate description of his hair colour?"

"Um, I believe one of the witnesses said the man's hair might have been orange or red in colour." Both Ukitake and Rukia looked at each other in surprise.

"Very well then, you may leave now," Ukitake dismissed the messenger. He turned to Rukia again. "What do you think Kuchiki?"

"That…definitely seems to match Ichigo's description," Rukia replied. "But I thought he lost all of his spiritual energy after he defeated Aizen. Even as a soul he shouldn't have any reiatsu."

"Perhaps he found some way to regain it on his own," Ukitake pondered. "Tell you what, I think it would be good if you went out to Rukongai and searched for Kurosaki. From the report it seems he ended up in Inuzuri. I'll send a message to Captain Kuchiki and request him to have Lieutenant Abarai assist you. The two of you know Inuzuri back to front right?"

"Of course Ukitake Taicho. I still remember that place clearly," said Rukia excitedly. 'Thank you for giving me a change to look for Ichigo. I'll find him and bring him back soon, I promise!"

* * *

Ichigo regained consciousness. He had been in darkness for what seemed like an eternity. During that time he kept on hearing voices in his head, and was plagued by thoughts of Karin and Yuzu's safety. He finally opened his eyes, and found himself inside a cave. He looked down and noticed he was sleeping on a flat stone surface.

"Huh, where am I?" he asked himself. "What happened to me?" He looked around and saw that the cave was not natural but man-made. The walls were much too smooth and refined and there were several furnishings and decorations that made it look like someone was living here.

"I see that you are awake," said a voice nearby. Ichigo turned his head and saw an old man, dressed in a dark brown cloak that had a hood which concealed most of his face except for a long white beard that went almost down to his waist. He was carrying a cane in his right hand but Ichigo noticed his left sleeve was bare, as if he was missing an arm.

"Who are you?" asked Ichigo.

"I? I am just an old hermit. This place is my home," the man replied.

"Were you the one who rescued me?" asked Ichigo. The old man nodded.

"I saw you fighting those armed men. You were protecting the lives of your sisters weren't you? A very courageous act, but also a very foolish one. It was a miracle that you were able to beat them all, and even after that you have almost certainly died had I not tended you."

"Oh yeah." Ichigo looked down at his semi-naked body and saw a long scar that went from his waist right up to his shoulder. A pressing though entered is head.

"Are my sisters safe?" he asked.

"They are indeed. They have been standing by your side for days, waiting for you to recover. They fell asleep only a few hours ago."

"I was out cold for several days?" Ichigo couldn't believe it.

"It took a day at least for your wounds to close up. It took several days more for your spirit energy to recover. Your reiatsu was close to zero when I brought you here."

Ichigo recalled what happened when he fought those men. He had received a slash that almost killed him and the men were about to finish him off. That was when his body experienced a sudden burst of reiatsu as he somehow regained a portion of the spirit energy he once had. He proceeded to kill all of the men that had attacked him before he blacked out.

"Here is your sword," the old man. He handed Ichigo the katana he had picked up from the rack. "I found it lying beside you and brought it back here." Ichigo held the sword in his hands. It felt different from the sword he used to wield as a Shinigami.

"I initially thought it was nothing but an asauchi, but it appears there is a figment of reiatsu in that blade of yours," said the old man.

"There is? It looks like an ordinary sword to me," said Ichigo.

"Whilst you were recovering I felt a small portion of your spirit energy flow in the blade. It would not be enough for it to be considered a Zanpakuto, but some day you might be able to pour enough of your reiatsu into it to make it one." Ichigo considered the old man's words carefully. He remembered the first Zanpakuto he had when first became a Substitute Shinigami. It was a massive blade that was as tall as he was yet he had been able to wield it with ease. He later discovered the size of it was due to him being unable to control his enormous reiatsu. Now he though, he barely had a tiny fraction of the reiatsu he had back then and this plain asauchi he found already felt too heavy for him.

He watched as the old hermit sat down on a chair beside him. As Ichigo observed his actions, he couldn't help shake the feeling that he had seen this old man somewhere before.

"Um, Ojii-san, there's something familiar about you," he said. "Have you and I met before?"

"No. If you think I look familiar then you must be mistaking me for someone else," the man replied. "Now is not the time to be worrying about things. Please get some rest. By tomorrow you will have fully recovered." Ichigo complied with the old man and fell back onto the stone surface again. He quickly went to sleep.

Ichigo woke up the next morning feeling fresh. Though the scars on his body would take some more time to heal, Ichigo felt his strength and spirit energy had been restored. He quickly put on his clothes and walked to the entrance of the cave. When he got there, he was surprised to see the old hermit sitting outside the cave smoking a pipe in his good hand.

"You're awake," said the old man bluntly. "Do you feel better now?"

"Yes. All of my strength has returned," Ichigo replied.

"Good. I think you are ready to leave this place." Ichigo was silent for a moment. Despite regaining some of his spiritual powers, he still felt uncertain about how he and his sisters were going to survive.

"Old man, do you know which direction we should head in? I don't think we can stay in Inuzuri any longer. My face is bound to be recognised."

"Hmm, it is indeed prudent that you should move to another district. This cave sits on the border between the 78th and 79th districts. If you head in a westerly direction for several days, you'll reach another large settlement."

"Thanks for the information gramps," said Ichigo. "Well then, I'd better get my belongings."

"Wait. I have something to give you," said the old man. He handed Ichigo a silver necklace, with a talisman on the end shaped like a full moon. Ichigo thanked him for the gift as he headed back for the bed he slept on to retrieve he sword. He wrapped the spare white cloth around the blade and used what was left to attach the sword to the belt around his waist.

When Ichigo returned he saw Karin and Yuzu chatting with the old man. As soon as they saw Ichigo they ran to meet him.

"Thank god you're okay Onii-chan," cried Yuzu. She hugged him tightly for a while. Karin's greeting was different. She first slapped Ichigo's face and _then_ hugged him.

"Ichi-nii you baka. Don't ever do such a stupid thing again," cried Karin. Ichigo smiled.

"I'm sorry Karin, Yuzu. I promise I won't make you worry that much about me ever again," he said.

"Ho, ho, ho, you seem to act like a father figure towards those two girls," the old man laughed.

"I have no choice. Our own father left us two years ago and my sisters aren't old enough to fend for themselves," said Ichigo.

"Well, I suppose this is where we part. Good luck on your journey." Ichigo and his sisters bid the old man goodbye and left the cave. In his mind Ichigo wondered if he would ever see him again.

After walking a short distance from the cave, the three of them stumbled upon a cliff that overlooked the town they had stayed in less than week before. What caught Ichigo's attention were three poles that protruded from small mounds near the cliff's edge. As he got closer he saw each of the poles had a wreath a flowers hung around them.

"What are these Ichi-nii?" asked Karin.

"They look like burial mounds," Ichigo replied. "Perhaps they were memorials of people who died." As he observed the mounds Ichigo noticed there were actually scratch marks on each of the poles. He bent down and tried to make the marks out. Though some of the marks were unreadable, the rest made out two messages: "_Rukia was here. So was Renji_." Ichigo's eye widened in surprise. He checked each of the poles and found they bore the same marks. Then he stood up and observed the mounds once again.

He pondered the marks for a moment. _Clearly whoever is buried in these mounds, they must have been friends of Rukia and Renji. That that must mean both Rukia and Renji once lived here…_

At this point, Ichigo had an idea. He got out the small knife he was still carrying and made scratch marks on each of the posts.

"What are you doing Onii-chan?" asked Yuzu.

"Making a marker so that whoever is looking for us will know of our location," said Ichigo. Karin and Yuzu joined Ichigo in this activity and when they finished their names had been etched onto each of the poles. Ichigo finished by marking a message on one of the mounds that read: "_District 79_".

"Let's get going," he said as he finished. He and his sisters then proceeded to head down a path leading away from the cliff. As they did so Ichigo thought about the significance of his message, and the importance of this burial site to Rukia. Word of his exploits might have reached Seireitei by now, and Ichigo knew Rukia would someday hear of it. And when she did she would most likely head to Inuzuri to look for him. _No doubt you'll return to that mound Rukia. When you do, I hope you'll see the message I left and follow me. Until then, I'll be waiting for you…_

_

* * *

_Notes: Wow, I am amazed at the number of reviews this story has gotten. Thankyou everyone for your appreciation.

The questions some of you asked have also been quite interesting. Most of them will answered further on in the story in due course.

The most interesting question I noticed was people wondering who the old man at the end of chapter 3 is. Well, if smart readers haven't guessed by the end of this chapter, you'll have to wait till next chapter to find out the old man's identity. It's going to be a surprise! :)


	5. Chapter 5: Searching for Ichigo

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 5 Searching for Ichigo

Two Shinigami stopped at the entrance of a forest. One was a woman with shoulder length black hair. The other was a tall man with red hair, a ponytail and a white headband around his forehead. They observed their surroundings.

"The forest of Inuzuri," said 13th Division Lieutenant Kuchiki Rukia.

"Brings back memories doesn't it?" asked 6th Division Lieutenant Abarai Renji.

When Captain Ukitake's message reached the 6th division's office, the 6th Division captain Kuchiki Byakuya was eager and willing to send his lieutenant to accompany his sister to search for Kurosaki Ichigo. To assist their efforts Byakuya had given Renji a special transporter device made by the Research and Development, which could teleport them to the gates of Seireitei once they found Ichigo.

Getting to Ichigo's last known location was a different story. Rukia and Renji Shunpo-ed nonstop for three days and nights in order to reach the outskirts of the 78th District of South Rukongai. On the border between the 78th and 77th districts they sensed a faint trace of reiatsu which Rukia recognised. They now followed it all the way to the entrance of the great forest of Inuzuri.

"The reiatsu trail we picked up leads through the forest," said Renji. "Who do you think it might belong to?"

"I'm not quite sure. It's definitely not Ichigo's as his would be very familiar to me. It's kind of weak but it's definitely there. Maybe it belongs to one of Ichigo's sisters," said Rukia. The two of them Shunpo-ed through the forest until they arrived at a clearing with several abandoned houses. Renji suddenly saw the decaying bodies of two men beside one of the houses.

"Look at this Rukia!" he exclaimed.

"What is it?" asked Rukia. When she saw the two bodies she blanched in disgust.

"Their bodies have already decayed. It seems they both died quite some ago." Rukia inspected the two men closely. The man on the right didn't appear to have a visible cause of death but the man on the left's cause of death was obvious. The top of his skull had fractured in half. She motioned Renji to the man's skull.

"I'm not sure what killed the other man but somebody must have punched this guy's face so hard he broke his skull when he fell," said Rukia. The two of them decided not to linger in the place any longer. They continued to Shunpo through the forest. A few minutes later they spotted a familiar looking cottage.

"Look Renji, isn't that Grandma Hikari's place?" asked Rukia.

"My word it is. I wonder if she is still alive," said Renji. They stopped in front of the cottage and knocked on the door. They heard a voice coming from the inside.

"My, my, visitors again? I wonder who it could be," said an old lady as she opened the door. When she saw Rukia and Renji she gasped in astonishment.

"Rukia-chan! Renji-chan! My word it's been so long since I've seen you two!" shouted Grandma Hikari. "Let me give you both a hug." Rukia and Renji were delighted to see her alive and well.

"Now, what brings two Shinigami of such stature to visit this rotten down district again?"

"Well Grandma Hikari, we're looking for a friend of ours. He's got long orange hair, and he's accompanied by two girls. Have you seen him?" asked Rukia. When Grandma Hikari heard Rukia's description, her eyes lit up.

"My word, I think I have! Let me see, when was this? Oh yes, about two weeks ago I got a knock on the door. When I opened it I saw this man with orange-coloured hair holding a girl-a young woman to be precise-in his arms. He was accompanied by another girl of the same age as the first. I welcomed them in and treated the sick girl, who had passed out from low spirit energy. When the girl recovered, I suggested to the man that they should head for the nearby 'Uraya-cho'. That was the last that I saw of them."

"Thank you so much for that information Grandma Hikari," said Rukia.

"It was my pleasure dear. Are you two willing to stay here for some tea?" Rukia and Renji accepted her offer. They stayed in the cottage for about an hour and chatted about events that had happened since they last visited. Afterwards Rukia and Renji promised to visit Grandma Hikari more frequently. The two of them then headed down the road to Uraya-cho, or 'slum town', as Rukia and Renji used to call it.

The city, if it could be so called, was just as filthy and chaotic as Rukia and Renji remembered it to be. There was hardly any semblance of order about as shop owners and buyers haggled and bargained for goods. Clearly the locals hadn't seen a Shinigami in ages for as soon as they saw Rukia and Renji almost all of the people in the vicinity either fled or kept their heads down.

"This place is as lawless as ever," said Renji. Rukia nodded.

"To think that Ichigo and his sisters actually stayed here for a few days…" she said. The thought made her heart uneasy. They wandered through the city and talked to the local shop owners about possible sightings they had of Ichigo or his sisters. After a succession of inquiries they got a general picture that Ichigo and his sisters had been a menace on the shop keepers for several days as they had stolen countless fruit, vegetables and meat. After further inquiries Rukia and Renji found the place they had supposedly lived at. Rukia was shocked that Ichigo and his sisters actually slept in such a small and decrepit shed.

"Hey, check this out Rukia," said Renji. He pointed to faint outlines of blood stains that littered the area surrounding the shed.

"This must be where Ichigo supposedly fought ten armed men by himself," said Rukia. She inspected the blood on the ground and was surprised to feel a trace of Ichigo's reiatsu.

"Do you think Ichigo truly killed all of those men? I didn't think he was that cold hearted," said Renji. Rukia was silent for a moment.

"The Ichigo I knew was reluctant to kill a person for no reason. But of the few times when the lives of his family were at stake, Ichigo was more than willing to kill his enemies. Perhaps this was one of those situations." The two of them spoke to more of the locals and asked them about the fight. All of the accounts they received told them of a man covered with wounds hunting down and slaying his attackers without mercy, before collapsing in the middle of the street. When they asked what happened to him, Rukia and Renji were surprised to hear that Ichigo had been saved by an old man carrying a walking stick.

The information given by the locals led Rukia and Renji to the hillside that overlooked Uraya-cho. They followed a path up the hill which led all the way into a cave.

"Renji, doesn't this cave look familiar to you?" asked Rukia.

"You're right it does!" exclaimed Renji. "We stayed in this cave when we were children. This place brings back a lot of memories." They explored the interior of the cave and found tons of memorabilia that brought back nostalgic memories. But what they were more interested in were the two distinct reiatsu signatures they had detected running through the cave. One was a signature that matched Ichigo's. The other was far larger and seemed to fill the entire cave. They detected two other signatures, both of which were far smaller.

"Looks like Ichigo really did come here," said Renji.

"There's something strange about these signatures though," said Rukia. "Ichigo's signature is definitely much weaker than what he used to have, but this other reiatsu, it must be enormous to leave behind such a large presence. It's easily as powerful as any of the captains. Do you know of anyone who might possess such a large reiatsu?" Renji pondered for a moment.

"Let me see…do you remember what happened when Seireitei was attacked by that hulking demon two years ago?"

"How could I not forget? Everyone was terrified of that monster. I'm glad that it was driven away by Yamamoto Sotaicho before it could do any significant damage."

"Well, shortly after the attack Yamamoto Sotaicho reportedly went on leave and Kyoraku Taicho was promoted as acting Captain Commander."

"Are you sure of that Renji? I never heard about it," said Rukia.

"It was a secret that only the captains were aware of but I found out through Kuchiki Taicho. I was also told that Yamamoto Sotaicho reportedly left Seireitei to look for that demon. Kuchiki Taicho told me he was last seen heading for the far outskirts of Rukongai."

"Hmm, maybe you're onto something Renji. The accounts of those locals of this old man sounded suspicious indeed. They said he carried a cane as a walking stick, and he had a long white beard." Then all of a sudden Rukia recalled what Captain Ukitake had told her about Yamamoto's Zanpakuto-"_Genryusai-sensei always kept his Zanpakuto disguised as a cane when he didn't use it. He liked to give us captains the impression he was a decrepit old man…"_

"Of course! That cane must have been the Sotaicho's Zanpakuto!" exclaimed Rukia.

"Then he really did bring Ichigo here," said Renji.

"The problem is, where did Ichigo or Yamamoto-dono go from here?" Rukia and Renji left the cave and tried to follow the reiatsu signatures. Unfortunately for them, the signatures were so jumbled up it was impossible to make out which one was which. They were so caught up in following the reiatsu signatures that neither Rukia nor Renji were aware they had reached the burial place for their childhood friends until Renji almost tripped over a mound.

"Renji…isn't this place?" asked Rukia.

"It is indeed," Renji replied. They both stared at the three poles in front of them. Memories of their childhood friends came flashing back to them, along with the vow the two of them had made to become Shinigami.

"Oh, I remembered we carved our names on each of the poles," said Rukia. "Let's see if they're still here." She checked the markings on the poles again and soon found the words she and Renji had left. But then she noticed a whole set of markings she had never seen before.

"Look Renji, someone's carved new messages on these poles!" she exclaimed.

"What? Are you serious?" asked Renji. They examined the markings carefully and managed to make out the words 'Ichigo'. 'Yuzu' and 'Karin' scrawled in almost illegible katakana. Both Rukia and Renji were stunned when they saw them.

"Oh my god Renji. Ichigo and his sisters visited this spot," said Rukia. "And they left us these messages."

"That's not the only message they left," said Renji. He pointed to another marking that had been made on one of the mounds. It said '_District 79'_.

"No doubt about it. Ichigo must have intended to tell us he was here and this other message tells us of the place he and sisters headed for," said Rukia.

"District 79 of South Rukongai eh? I've never been to it but from all the accounts I've heard it's an even worse hellhole than Inuzuri.

"God, I hope Ichigo is alright," Rukia prayed.

* * *

Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu stopped to make camp for the night. They had been walking for nearly five days since they crossed the border into the 79th district. Along the way they had been attacked several times by bandits or rogues either intent on stealing their possessions, killing them for fun, or in the case of Yuzu and Karin, performing sexual intercourse with them. On every occasions Ichigo had easily defeated them all. He and his sisters pilfered the bandit's possessions before leaving them to die as they moved on.

The three of them had been fortunate to extract a whole bag of coins from the body one of the bandits, which was enough for them to buy food for the next month at least. However, they had not encountered a single house or village, let alone an entire town, so there was no opportunity for them to use the money they got. Instead Ichigo and Karin would go out hunting for animals every night and Yuzu used the skills she had to make a fire. They would roast the animals on the sticks they found. Most of the animals they caught were rabbits or small birds that Ichigo managed to trap but yesterday they had the luck of encountering a wild pig which Ichigo caught and killed. The pig was so large that they couldn't eat it all in one night, so they decided to keep the leftovers for the following night.

The next morning, Ichigo and his sisters continued their journey westwards, hoping they would arrive at the town the old man described. After an hour or so of walking they came across a most curious sight. A forest of trees that had been in the distance suddenly encroached on both sides of the road they were travelling on. The trees were so close together that they were almost impassable. In the area between the two trees someone had erected a stone wall that blocked everything except for a narrow gap in the middle where the road still ran through. Beside the wall was a small thatched hut.

When Ichigo and his sisters neared the hut they were surprised to see a man leaning back on a chair.

"Hey there," said Ichigo to the man. His voice startled the man awake and caused him to almost fall over. He recovered and stared at the man who had woken him up.

"What do you want strangers?" he asked.

"What's the deal with this wall blocking the road? And the thick forest all around us?"

"Oh, you don't know about the border guards? You must be outsiders then. This is one of the entrances to Kabuki-cho, capital of district 79 'Chisio-oni' of South Rukongai."

"Chisio-oni?" asked Ichigo.

"That's the name the locals here like to call this district. You definitely must be outsiders if you don't know the local nickname. We are you from?"

"We came here from Inuzuri."

"I see," said the man. "Were I inclined to follow orders I'd stop you right here and prevent you from passing, but I'm willing to disobey those orders."

"What do you mean you have orders to prevent us from passing?" Ichigo was confused by the man's words. The man looked around and when he saw that no one else was present he leaned closer to Ichigo.

"Please keep what I tell you a secret," the man said. Ichigo nodded and motioned the man to continue. "The reason why there's a wall here is because the man who controls Kabuki-cho and by proxy the entire district of Chisio-oni has forbidden any outsiders from entering. Any stranger who is caught entering the city is to be killed on sight."

"That's horrible!" exclaimed Karin. "Who would make such an awful proclamation?"

"Only a man with the most wicked of hearts," said the man in a low voice. "This entire district is under the rule of the Warlord Dialgos. He has the city of Kabuki-cho under his iron fist. His band of thugs regularly patrols the district stealing, killing or raping anyone from another district who tries to enter. As for those who live in the city, well, they have to abide by his tyrannical rule every single day."

"Hmm, this Dialgos person doesn't sound very pleasant," said Ichigo. "How long has it been like this?"

"His rule began about five years ago, I think. Without warning, he and a bunch of thugs stormed the city and killed our local mayor. He then installed himself as ruler of the district."

"How come no one bothered to challenge him? Surely all the townsfolk there don't willingly abide by his rule."

"You don't understand. Most of the people in this district are ordinary souls. Almost no one has any spiritual power. Dialgos was once a Shinigami of immense power, and his men all possess a great deal of spiritual pressure. Do you think we haven't tried to overthrow him? There have been many attempts on his life but none have succeeded. I myself was involved in one such attempt and I was lucky that they didn't kill me on the spot."

"So you were posted to guard this gate as punishment for rebelling against this Dialgos fellow huh?" asked Ichigo. He pondered the situation the man had described so far. He had never heard of a Shinigami called Dialgos before, even though he had been familiar with almost all of the upper level officers of all 13 divisions of the Gotei 13. _So this guy took over the town five years ago…that's roughly when we all fought Aizen and his Arrancars. _He found the timing of all of this suspicious.

"The three of you are welcome to enter Kabuki-cho, but I have some words of advice for you," said the man. "Keep your head down. Don't do anything which might attract the attention of Dialgos' thugs. If you plan on staying here, make contact with some of the locals. If Dialgos' men find out you're an outsiders, just try to escape the city as best as you can. Cause if they catch you you'd be killed on the spot."

"Um, thanks for the advice." Ichigo and his sisters were allowed through the wall. They had little clue of what awaited them in the city aptly named 'Kabuki-cho'.

* * *

Notes: Those of you who guessed the old man was Captain Commander himself, you were correct. Yes, Yamamoto did indeed retire, but the reasons for him doing aren't going to be revealed just yet.

The name Dialgos doesn't really have significance. I just chose it randomly. Kabuki-cho and Chisio-oni do have special meanings. Kabuki-cho is named after the district in Shinjuku, Tokyo of the same name, whilst Chisio-oni means 'Blood Ogre' or 'Blood Demon'.


	6. Chapter 6: The Strawberry Ronin

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 6 The Strawberry Ronin

The words of the border guard had proved to be prescient. Kabuki-cho was indeed a city under martial law. When Ichigo and his sisters arrived on the outskirts of the city they couldn't believe their eyes. The entire city was surrounded by thirty foot high white concrete walls, with numerous guard towers placed at strategic points along those walls. A deep moat, possibly formed by the diversion of a nearby river, separated the city from the outside. The only possible crossing into the city was guarded by a massive iron gate and was patrolled by six heavily armored guards. To top it all off, the city was situated in a perfect geographic bottleneck, for on its northern and western sides it was surrounded by sheer impassable mountains.

As Ichigo observed the layout of the city, he suspected that only a powerful Shinigami skilled in Shunpo would be able to enter and escape it without being caught.

"How will we get past those guards Ichi-nii?" asked Karin.

"To be honest I have no clue Karin," Ichigo admitted. "Maybe we can pretend to be one of the locals so that those guards will let us past." And so the three of them kept their heads down and slowly crossed the bridge spanning the moat. The guards standing in front of the gate spotted and moved to intercept their path.

"Halt strangers, identify yourselves," barked one of the guards.

"Uh, we're all citizens of Kabuki-cho. We just came back from a trip to the nearby mountains," said Ichigo. He hoped it was a plausible story.

"Did you have a license to enter the city?" asked another guard. _Shit. I didn't know you needed a license_, Ichigo thought.

"Um, I don't have my license with me at the moment. I handed it to the guard at the border patrol up the road from here. You can ask him to produce it."

To Ichigo's surprise the guards actually bought his story. They opened the gates and allowed them to enter. Once inside, Ichigo and his sisters were taken aback by the general mood of the city. In stark contrast to the lively and bustling Uraya-cho, the streets of Kabuki-cho were almost devoid of people. Even the largest of the thoroughfares Ichigo saw were almost empty. The one or two people they encountered tended to be by themselves.

"This place looks deserted," said Karin.

"It may not be. Perhaps everyone here chose to stay inside their houses," said Ichigo.

"I'm scared Onii-chan. This place feels like a ghost town," said Yuzu. The three of them walked through the streets of the city for some time. Apart from the lack of people about, the other depressing feature that Ichigo noticed was the almost complete absence of any shops selling food, clothing or other items. He thought of two possible explanations for this state of affairs. The first was that almost no one in this city possessed any spiritual energy at all, and so there was need for grocers when nobody needed to eat food to survive. Ichigo found this explanation hard to accept. The more realistic but far more depressing explanation was that this Dialgos person had closed down every single shop and had hoarded all of the food, clothes and wealth for himself.

Eventually Ichigo and his sisters stumbled upon a place that did sell food: a small inn located in a side alley. It was little more than a room with a bar and two long tables that sat at most twelve people. When Ichigo walked in front of the bar he found no one was present. There was however a small bell, which Ichigo rang three times. A minute later he heard footsteps coming from the floor above. Eventually a middle-aged man with a slightly bald forehead appeared. He didn't look much like a barman, for he was dressed in a scruffy looking shirt and trousers. When he saw Ichigo and his sisters, his eyes narrowed.

"You people don't look like you're from around here," he said. "Are you outsiders?" Ichigo was hesitant to tell the truth, for he feared this man would inform the guards. He finally made up his mind to tell the truth anyway, trusting that this man was one of the genuine locals.

"Can you promise to keep this a secret?" he asked. The barman nodded.

"I promise you I'm not one of Dialgos' cronies. The last thing I'd do is to dob on a fellow local, or an outsider," said the barman." Ichigo was relieved.

"Okay then, I admit that the three of us are all outsiders. We've come from Inuzuri district and we just arrived here a short time ago."

"Did the border guard let you in?"

"He did surprisingly enough. He was even willing to give us some helpful advice on how to stay low." The barman was somehow pleased at this news.

"I expected as much. That border guard's name is Minazawa. He is a friend of mine. Though we are honest hard-working men, we're not so law-abiding to blindly follow the warlord's every order. Still, it's been a long time since a person from an outside district dared to enter this city. You were extremely lucky to get past the guards at the gate. Now then, is there anything I can get you?"

"Well, my sisters and I would certainly appreciate something to eat," said Ichigo. "A jar of water would be most welcome as well." The barman raised an eyebrow at Ichigo's request.

"This is a surprise. I almost never get anyone coming here asking for food. Most of the locals don't have any spiritual energy, so to meet three people such as your selves who possess reiatsu is a special occasion. And such an occasion deserves the finest food I can offer."

The barman went upstairs for a while. When he came back, he was carrying a large tray full of smoked fish, as well as jar of water.

"This is the best quality fish I have. 100% genuine smoked salmon, guaranteed to stay fresh for ten years," said the barman. "I hope you enjoy it." He placed the large tray of salmon on the table and handed Ichigo and his sisters each a bowl and some chopsticks. The three of them thanked the barman before they dug into the fish. As he put a piece of fish in his mouth, Ichigo thought it tasted quite nice although there was a tad too much salt in it. He figured that smoking the fish and covering it with salt would have been the only way to preserve it.

After they had been eating for ten minutes, the silence inside the room was broken when two scraggy looking men, both of them carrying katanas, stepped inside. When the barman saw them he almost shitted himself out of fear. When Ichigo saw the two men, his mind thought back to what the border guard Minazawa had said about Dialgos' men, and he concluded that these two were the warlord's cronies. Thinking it would be wise not to attract attention Ichigo kept his head down. The two armed men first went for the barman at the counter.

"Yo, innkeeper Tanaka, give me all of the sake you have," said one of the men. The barman hastily ducked underneath the bar and brought out a huge jar of sake and plunked it onto the bar. The first armed man took a look at the jar of sake and then spat at Tanaka's face.

"Is that all the sake you have?" he asked. Tanaka nodded nervously.

"I don't have any more to spare. I already gave Dialgos-sama two jars of sake in the last inspection. This is my last one," said Tanaka.

"You'd better not to be lying to us," said the other armed man. The attention of this man then turned upon Ichigo and his sisters. He got the attention of the first armed man.

"Check it out, there's a bunch of townsfolk eating without the warlord's permission."

"What the fuck? Who would be stupid enough to openly disobey Dialgos-sama?" The two men went to the table where Ichigo and his sisters were sitting. They proceeded to yank the entire tray off the table, to the complete shock of Karin and Yuzu. Yuzu was about to protest but Ichigo gave her a look, as if silently telling her '_keep your mouth shut'_.

"Well, what do you have here? High quality smoked salmon! Who'd have guessed you'd be keeping such good food tucked away Tanaka-san," said the first armed man. At this remark Tanaka shuddered nervously. "Something like this belongs to Dialgos-sama."

"Hey Tanzo, look at these two girls over here," said the second armed man. "Don't you think they'd be suitable whores for Dialgos-sama?" He pointed to Karin and Yuzu.

"You're right, they both looking fucking gorgeous. I heard Dialgos-sama got sick of his previous whores, saying they were too old for him. These two are just perfect. Let me check out their goods first before we take them." When they heard those words, both Karin and Yuzu freaked out. The man called Tanzo approached Yuzu, who tried to back away in fright.

"What's the matter little girl? You shouldn't be afraid of me," said Tanzo. He reached out his left hand and was just about to grab hold of Yuzu's chest when all of a sudden he found a blade at his throat.

"Lay one hand on her and I'll chop off your head," said Ichigo. His eyes were filled with utter disgust. The sight of a blade pointed at his throat drove the man called Tanzo mad. He backed away and unsheathed his sword.

"How dare you draw a blade against me? Don't you know who I am? I am one of Dialgos-sama's most powerful servants!" exclaimed Tanzo.

"I don't give a shit who you are. I can tolerate you guys stealing our food, but there's no way I'm letting you molest Yuzu or Karin," said Ichigo. Tanzo and the other man were shocked at the audacity of Ichigo's response, and so was Tanaka. The barman ducked under his counter in fright, unable to believe that someone actually stood up to them.

"Hey Tanzo, this guy doesn't look like one of the locals," said the second guy."

"You're right I've never seen a guy with strawberry orange hair," laughed Tanzo. "Where are you from punk? You don't look like you belong here."

"I don't. I'm just a wandering ronin who stopped here for some food," said Ichigo. He didn't care his secret was out, not when things had already escalated to this point.

"So you're an outsider!" shouted Tanzo. "Dialgos-sama ordered all outsiders to be killed. And since you've already insulted us by pointing a blade at my throat, we're going to make your death real slow and painful." Ichigo watched as both men drew their swords out.

"Karin, Yuzu, head for the corner and stay there," said Ichigo to his sisters as he go up from his table and confronted the two men. The man called Tanzo yelled out and charged at Ichigo, trying to land a huge slash on his shoulder. To his utter shock, Ichigo blocked the sword with his left hand. Tanzo and the other man couldn't believe their eyes.

"What the fuck are you?" asked Tanzo. "There's no way you could have blocked my blade with your bare hands!" Ichigo seemed amused by their ignorance.

"I thought so the moment my hand touched your blade," he said. "The two of you are just normal souls with no spirit energy. No wonder you can't cut me at all. I'm surprised that the people in this town have lived in fear of thugs such as you."

"How dare you say that!" screamed Tanzo. He backed away from Ichigo and raised his sword above his arms. "Die scum!" He swung his sword down in a huge arc in an attempt to cut Ichigo from head to toe. Ichigo side-stepped the entire blow and sliced through the man's chest. A torrent of blood spurted out before the man called Tanzo keeled over. As he saw his comrade fall, the other man panicked and ran out of the inn, shouting "Dialgos-sama!" as he did so.

With the fight over in a flash, Ichigo inspected the man he defeated and was surprised to find he was already dead. As he stood up again he was hugged by his sisters.

"Thank you saving me Onii-chan," said Yuzu.

"You were really cool there Ichi-nii," said Karin with a smile. The barman Tanaka also popped up from behind the counter but he was not so pleased.

"Do you realize what you've done!" he exclaimed in exasperation. "You've drawn the wrath of Dialgos-sama on my head! My life is over!" Tanaka frantically waved his arms.

"It's alright Tanaka-san. I'm going to give myself up to him," said Ichigo.

"You're going to do what?"

"I'm going to surrender myself to this Dialgos guy."

"You're going to sacrifice yourself…for me?" asked Tanaka.

"I'm not going to let myself get killed. I'm going to confront this warlord, and I am going to beat him. I'll end his reign of terror over this city." Tanaka couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"This plan of yours…it's madness! Do you know how powerful Dialgos-sama is?"

"I don't think this warlord is as strong as everyone in this city thinks he is. After all, those thugs who were here, they were just random guys with swords. I once took on ten of them myself," said Ichigo. Though he was not a person to boast about exploits, Ichigo thought it would be a good way to win over Tanaka. To his surprise Tanaka seemed convinced by his story. The barman bowed his head and groveled at Ichigo's head.

"I pray that what you have said is true, for you may indeed be the savior that our city has been waiting for," he said. "I put my trust in you, young man." Ichigo smiled.

"My name is not young man, it's Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Well, Ichigo-san, before you go off to confront Dialgos-sama, would you mind helping me bury this guy? I don't want to be implicated as your accomplice," said Tanaka.

"Sure thing." Ichigo and his sisters helped Tanaka bury the dead body of Tanzo in the garden at the back of the inn and cleaned up the blood stain in the room. Then Ichigo and his sisters left the inn after receiving some last words of encouragement from Tanaka.

* * *

"Where are we going now Onii-chan?" asked Yuzu.

"We're going to confront the guy who's made the life of everyone in this city so miserable," Ichigo replied. "And I'm going to beat him." Following the directions Tanaka had given them, Ichigo and his sisters headed for the west end of the city, where the Warlord supposedly lived in a giant fortress. As they walked, Ichigo noticed more and more people were coming outside. Almost all of them were glancing at him, as if word of the incident at the inn had already spread through most of the city.

After about ten minutes of walking Ichigo noticed a group of about ten men armed with swords approaching him. _These must be Dialgos' men_, Ichigo thought.

"Are we going to fight them Ichi-nii?" asked Karin. "Or are we going to run?"

"Neither one Karin. Just wait patiently," said Ichigo. He watched as the ten men surrounded him and his sisters.

"By the order of Dialgos-sama, you three outsiders are under arrest," said one of the armed men. When Ichigo saw his face, he knew who he was.

"Aren't you one of the guys who was inspecting Tanaka's inn?" he asked. The man's face instantly turned red.

"Shut up! You will pay for taking Tanzo's life!"

"Are you guys going to kill me right here? Or are you going to take me to see your warlord?" Ichigo's question unnerved all of the armed men who had surrounded him. Word of their companion's death had clearly reached them and now they were hesitant to attack him, lest they be killed in an instant.

"I'll be willing to hand myself over to him, provided that we're not handcuffed," said Ichigo. The men accepted his offer and motioned him to follow them. They kept he and his sisters surrounded at all times to ensure they wouldn't escape.

Soon they arrived at the other end of Kabuki-cho. Ichigo was taken aback by the sight in front of him. Cut off from the rest of the city by its own private moat, and surrounded by higher than normal walls, a stone and brick castle stood out like an eyesore from the mainly straw and timber houses of the surrounding city.

"This is the Warlord Dialgos-sama's fortress," said one of the armed men. _Looks pretty garish to me_, Ichigo thought. He wondered who in their right mind would build a European style castle in the middle of a notionally Japanese style city. The front gates of the castle and Ichigo and his sisters were motioned to enter. As they walked through the entrance of the castle Ichigo saw more signs that whoever owned this place had a vain and egotistic nature. Huge glass chandeliers hung from a high ceiling above, and lavish paintings and banners draped the walls. The final extravagance he noted were the full suits of armour that stood on both sides of the concourse. Ichigo couldn't imagine how much all of these decorations would cost, but he had no doubt that these fittings were the reason the entire city's populace had been impoverished.

Along the concourse's length there were various doors and passages that must have led to other rooms or quarters, but Ichigo's mind wasn't focused upon them. His eyes were firmly fixed upon the flight of stairs at the other end of the concourse. There were three flights of stairs in fact; each one containing two dozen steps and each step was wide enough for six men to stand side by side. At the very top of the stairs, sitting on a huge golden-coloured throne was a brute of a man that Ichigo guessed was the Warlord himself. He was completely topless except for a leather vest that barely covered his arms and shoulder. Instead of a nakama or trousers, he wore a striking set of black jeans and a huge pair of boots. His head was mostly shaved except for a top knot of hair that hang from his back. As Ichigo ascended the stairs, the overall impression he got of this Dialgos person was of a barbarian conqueror who knew of little except fighting and giving orders.

When Ichigo and his sisters reached the top flight of stairs, the man called Dialgos motioned for two of his henchmen. They walked up to Ichigo and removed his sword from him. As they handed his sword to Dialgos, Ichigo noticed two pitiful figures that had prostrated themselves at the warlord's feet. They looked like girls, no older than Karin or Yuzu, and they were dressed in skimpy bikinis that exposed almost all of their bodies. Ichigo tried hard to hide his disgust that girls so young were providing 'services' to such a man.

"So this is the outsider who killed Tanzo eh?" asked Dialgos. He examined Ichigo's sword closely. "An exquisitely made katana, of far greater quality than any of the weapon smiths around here can make." He stared up at Ichigo.

"Where did you come from intruder? You're not a citizen of Chisio-oni."

"I'm not. I'm mostly a wanderer but the place I last called home was Inuzuri," said Ichigo. At this Dialgos chuckled.

"Ha! A hanging dog! Who'd have thought a being from such a lowlife district would dare cross over into my domain!" Ichigo was not fazed by Dialgos' insult but he was beginning to think this warlord of less than average intelligence.

"You're got some nerve coming here, kozu. And quite a devious mind too. I can't imagine how you got past the border guard and entered the city gates without being arrested at once," said Dialgos. "And the fact you managed to kill Tanzo shows that you're a swordsman of some skill. It would be a shame to waste such a valuable talent. So I'm going to make you an offer: how about you become one of my men?"

"No thanks. I'd rather die than submit myself to a man with as few morals as you," said Ichigo. His response caused Dialgos eyes to flare up in rage.

"How dare you…well, if that's your attitude then I suppose you will have to die. Before you do, I want to know your name, so I can get the satisfaction of telling the people of the man who was foolish enough to challenge me." Ichigo pondered whether to reveal his name. He decided not to, thinking that Dialgos might already know of him.

"I've long forgotten my original name," he lied. "Nowadays, people call me the Strawberry Ronin."

* * *

Notes: I must say I enjoyed writing this chapter. I wanted to invoke the spirit of those classic Japanese samurai films and manga, especially the Lone Wolf and Cub series, where a wandering ronin or samurai goes around killing bad guys and saving innocent people, but whose only real goal is to protect his family. This chapter is also meant to set up the climatic finale to the first arc of the Afterlife Saga, which I will dub now as the Rukongai arc.

I thank all of those who've sent in reviews. Your responses have really been helpful.


	7. Chapter 7: The Strongest Swordsman

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 7 The Strongest Swordsman

"Strawberry Ronin?" asked Dialgos. The warlord took in the name Ichigo had given for a moment. Then he suddenly burst out laughing. His henchmen laughed as well, as they couldn't believe anyone could answer to such a ridiculous name.

"Strawberry Ronin? What kind of pansy name is that? I bet it was a nickname your mother called you!" laughed Dialgos. Ichigo was barely fazed by their ridicule. He had chosen the nickname carefully. He had used the fact his former schoolmates had often called him "Strawberry" and pared it with the fact that since coming to the Soul Society, he had become a wandering swordsman whose only goal was to protect his sisters.

Ichigo's sisters had also figured out the nickname he chose. Both Karin and Yuzu secretly smiled. They thought the title 'Strawberry Ronin' was kind of cool.

"Well lads. It looks like this guy here is a joke after all. Tanzo's death was probably due to an act of carelessness. He's not deserving of my respect. Kill him!" barked Dialgos. The two henchmen that had been standing beside Dialgos advanced towards Ichigo with swords drawn. Ichigo glanced at Karin and Yuzu.

"_Stay behind me girls_," he whispered to them. The first henchmen swung his sword horizontally at Ichigo's neck, aiming to chop it off in one movement. What happened next completely stunned the other henchmen and Dialgos himself. Ichigo blocked the sword with his left hand and with his right he landed a haymaker against the henchman's face. His punch was so hard that it cracked the man's nose and sent him flying backwards into three other men. The other henchman yelled out and jumped in the air, aiming to cut Ichigo from head to toe. Ichigo dodged the swing, and after grabbing the man's arms he heaved the man forward with such force that the man was sent flying down the whole flight of stairs. He landed on the bottom of the stairs head first with a sickening crunch.

The other henchmen, having taken nearly a minute to recover from being knocked over, inspected their comrade, and discovered he had died from Ichigo's punch. In a rage they all tried to charge at Ichigo in unison. But all of a sudden they were silenced by Dialgos' voice.

"Halt!" shouted Dialgos. "Don't kill him just yet."

"But you ordered us to do so Dialgos-sama!" protested one of the men.

"Silence you pathetic worms! You can't even do as you're told without getting yourselves killed!" Ichigo could see that that the warlord was clearly angered by the incompetence of his henchmen, but if so, Dialgos tried his best to mask it a moment later.

"Well, well, it seems I underestimated you, Strawberry Ronin. You're not so easy to kill after all, even when you're unarmed," said Dialgos in a strained voice. "A quick execution here would not be fitting for a man as brave as you." A second later the warlord laughed again, but this time the laughter was of a man who had lost his sanity.

"Yes! I know what do with you! I'm going to kill you with my bare hands. But not here, oh no. Your death will take place in front of the entire city! I will crush you down in front of the people who regard you as some sort of savior, so that when your body is broken they will know that they'll have lost all hope for freedom!"

"Dialgos-sama, you can't possibly mean to hold _that_ again?" asked one of his henchmen.

"I am! I'm going to hold a Kenpachi fight to decide who the strongest swordsman is! The winner will become the lord of this city! The loser will have his head chopped off! How does that sound Strawberry Ronin?"

"I don't care about becoming a lord or a king. All I'm interested in is beating your ass and getting the hell of here," said Ichigo. Dialgos was offended at Ichigo's rejection.

"Fine then. Have it your way. If you win the people of this city get to win their freedom. But if I win the two girls with you belong to me!" shouted Dialgos.

"Fine. I accept your offer." Karin and Yuzu were both frightened at the prospect of becoming slaves to such a disgusting man but Ichigo gave them a reassuring look. _Don't worry, I'm going to win_, was his indirect message to them.

* * *

The Kenpachi fight had become the biggest event in Kabuki-cho, and possibly the entire Chisio-oni district's history. Word of the fight had spread across the populace so quickly that by the morning of the next day every single person in the city had heard about it. As a result of a general decree by the warlord himself, townsfolk were given the permission to set up foot outlets and merchandise stalls in the grounds around where the fight would be held-at a specially built arena to the north of the city.

Other opportunistic vendors set up betting rings where people could give odds on who would be the likely victor. Dialgos himself was the overwhelming favourite, with most people giving him almost unbackable chance at winning. The best odds Ichigo got were a fifteen to one bet by Tanaka and Minazawa, and even then, they only wagered a small monetary figure.

The arena itself was huge. The central ring where the combatants would fight was more than thirty yards across on all four sides. Surrounding the ring were a series of stands that together could seat nearly four thousand people. Ichigo didn't think the city had that many people, so when he saw almost all of the seats had been filled two hours before the scheduled, he was a tad surprised.

For the two fighters themselves, their preparations couldn't have been more different. Dialgos spent the night in a lavish dressing room, pampered by four scantily dressed ladies. Ichigo on the other hand was only accompanied by his sisters and stayed the night in a dark basement room underneath the arena stands. He hardly slept at all. Instead, Ichigo spent most of the time meditating. He remembered the art of Jinzen his father had taught him and tried to converse with his blade. He didn't expect a response as he knew well that he no longer had a Zanpakuto spirit inside him. Still the entire meditation process allowed Ichigo to get a good grasp of the level of spirit energy and reiatsu he currently had and finetune his senses. By the time the sun came rose in the morning, he was ready.

The summons came about half an hour before the fight was due to begin, at noon sharp. Ichigo stepped out onto the arena, with his sisters staying close behind him. He was well aware of the jeers and taunts that were thrown at him as soon as he appeared. Some of the taunts were levelled at his sisters, who tried hard to ignore them. The three of them sat down on a bench beside the ring and waited for Dialgos to appear.

Ten minutes later, the warlord emerged, still accompanied by four immodestly dressed women, as well as nearly two dozen henchmen armed with swords. The reception he received was raucous. Ichigo could hear chants of "Dialgos, Dialgos!" from all corners of the crime. When he got to the ring, Dialgos threw off the cloak he had been wearing, to reveal the sword strapped beside his belt. The warlord climbed onto the ring and motioned for Ichigo to follow.

"Good luck Onii-chan," said Yuzu. Ichigo thanked her for her encouragement, before he stepped onto the ring as well. He walked ten steps before stopping. Dialgos did the same. When the two fighters stood facing each other, one of the warlord's henchmen, dressed up as an announcer of some sorts, addressed the crowd.

"Get ready you guys! The ultimate Kenpachi fight is about to begin!" the henchmen exclaimed. "Who will emerge victorious? Will it be the all-powerful Warlord Dialgos-sama? Or will it be the mysterious outsider, the so-called 'Strawberry Ronin'?" At this point loud chants of  
"Dialgos-sama!" could be heard again. The henchmen faced Dialgos and Ichigo, before shouting "Let the match begin!"

"Come, Strawberry Ronin, show me what you have," said Dialgos as he unsheathed the sword hanging from his belt. It looked like a plain three foot-long asauchi. Ichigo unsheathed his sword from its cloth scabbard and held it with both hands. He was a bit surprised to see that Dialgos only held his sword with one hand, with almost no semblance of a guard at all. _What a poor stance, _Ichigo thought. _No experienced fighter would expose himself so badly._

After a ten second standoff, Dialgos made his move. He swung his sword in a downward arc at Ichigo's left side. Ichigo blocked his attack with the flat side of his sword, before parrying it away. Dialgos appeared to be surprised that his first attack had been blocked. The warlord swung his sword in a horizontal arc, aiming to slice at Ichigo's waist. Ichigo jumped backwards, did a mid-air somersault, before landing on his feet some distance away.

"You're quite a fast pest," said Dialgos. He charged at Ichigo and started thrusting his sword at him in a quick succession of stabbing actions. Rather than block each attack, Ichigo calmly sidestepped them all, ducking or dodging them as he needed. _This guy is a joke_, thought Ichigo. _Even an ordinary human would be able to avoid his sword thrusts_. The warlord followed up the quick thrusts with one big forward thrust at Ichigo's face. Ichigo calmly parried it away, before launching a counterattack that was but a mere feint to test Dialgos' nerves. The warlord seemed to think it was a genuine attack, for he jumped backward in an awkward fashion as soon as he saw Ichigo attack.

The sight of their warlord retreating from the outsider caused murmurs of despair amongst Dialgos' supporters. Amongst the townsfolk who detested him, there were many, including Minazawa and Tanaka, who were heartened by the fact Ichigo was pressuring him.

"What's the matter? Are you afraid of my attack?" asked Ichigo. His question had the effect he desired; it made Dialgos even more unsettled.

"Enough of your arrogant talking fool!" shouted Dialgos. "I'll show you now why the people here fear me!" Like a raging bull, he roared as he charged the Strawberry Ronin head on. The warlord swung his sword madly, lashing out at Ichigo in whatever way he could. Ichigo calmly blocked each of his attack, noting they were becoming sloppier as the warlord became more desperate. Soon Ichigo did not even need two hands to block each attack; a casual raise of his sword was enough to intercept Dialgos' every move.

Dialgos made one final desperate attack against Ichigo, putting all of his strength in a blow that he was certain would slice his enemy apart. Ichigo responded by holding his sword with hold hands and blocking the warlord's attack using the flat edge of his blade. The surrounding crowd looked on in awe as the two combatants' blades were now locked together in a struggle for supremacy. Dialgos was maddened at his inability to get past his opponent's defences, but however much he tried to push forward, Ichigo simply would not budge.

"Looks like this is the limit of your strength," said Ichigo. "I was expecting you to be stronger. No matter how hard you try you won't be able to cut me with this much power."

"What did you say?" asked Dialgos in a rage. "I'll show you the limits of my strength!" He raised back his sword arm and held it high above his head. The warlord didn't get a chance to launch another attack however, for at this point, Ichigo jumped up and landed a precision slice across Dialgos' right hand. The crowd gasped in shock as the warlord's sword was sent flying out of the ring and Dialgos grasped his right hand in agony, for Ichigo's slice had chopped one of his fingers.

"Shit, shit, shit!" swore Dialgos. He glared at Ichigo with murderous eyes. "You're going to pay for this you son of a bitch!"

"How are you going to do it then?" asked Ichigo. "You no longer have a sword in your hands. Do you intend to attack me with your bare fists? Go ahead then, but I don't think you'll have much of a chance."

"Dialgos-sama!" some of the warlord's henchmen called out. They were dismayed that their leader was in danger of losing. Ichigo prepared to finish the fight but just as he began his charge at Dialgos, the warlord did something completely unexpected.

"Bakudo no 1, Sai!" shouted Dialgos as he pointed his left hand at Ichigo's body. In an instant Ichigo's arms were tied behind his back and he fell onto his knees. _Crap, this is bad! _Ichigo thought. He looked up to see Dialgos gloating triumphantly.

"You bastard. I thought this was going to be a fair fight," muttered Ichigo.

"Ha, ha, ha, all's fair in love and war!" shouted Dialgos in a gleeful voice. "You were careless in underestimating me! You said I didn't have much of a chance huh? Then have a taste of my fists!" The warlord landed a massive punch at Ichigo's waist that almost knocked the wind out of him and caused him to cough up blood. Dialgos proceeded to kick Ichigo hard in the face, sending him flying backwards ten feet. Ichigo's body skidded across the surface of the ring before coming to a stop. As he struggled to break free of the kido, Ichigo conceded to himself that Dialgos had got him.

He watched as Dialgos grabbed hold of his legs, and with one big heave, he flung Ichigo over his head, causing him to land on his front. Ichigo's chin impacted hard with the ring surface and the aftershock almost broke his jaw. _I was careless_, Ichigo thought. _I didn't expect him to know kido._

"Onii-chan!" cried Yuzu. Tears were streaming from her face.

"Get up Ichi-nii!" shouted Karin. "Don't let the bastard get you!" The shouts of Ichigo's sisters were drowned out by shouts of "Finish Him!" from the warlord's supporters in the crowed. Dialgos stood in front of Ichigo's face again.

"You're finished Strawberry Ronin," he said. "But I'm not going to give you a quick death. Oh no, I'm going to make you suffer every bit of the way!" With that, he began stomping upon Ichigo's head. Each stomp caused Ichigo to spew blood from his mouth. _Shit, I'm being beaten like a ragdoll,_ Ichigo thought. _If only I could break free of this kido..._As his head and back were pounded by Dialgos, Ichigo's mind suddenly flashed back to the very first moment he met Rukia, which was so long ago now it sounded like ancient history. But Ichigo remembered something from that meeting. _Rukia had bound me with the same Bakudo... and I broke free of it!_ With that memory in his mind, Ichigo concentrated all of his willpower and resolve into breaking free of the spell.

Dialgos landed one last kick on Ichigo's head before admiring the battered body before him. He turned to one of his henchmen.

"Hand me back my sword! I'm going to cut off his head!" he shouted. As Dialgos waited to get his sword back, he and the entire stadium were suddenly hit with an enormous wave of reiatsu. The spiritual pressure was so strong that most of the people in the crowd buckled under its weight and fell over.

"This spiritual pressure! Where is it coming from?" asked Dialgos. He got the answer when Ichigo's body started glowing. With a ferocious scream Ichigo broke free of the Bakudo and regained control of his arms. He then slowly got up. Dialgos and his henchmen were astonished at the whole sight. Despite his entire face being a bloody mess, Ichigo had lost none of his strength.

"Impossible! How could you break free of my spell!" gasped Dialgos. "How could you even be standing?" Ichigo grinned, showing the warlord his half-broken jaw.

"That spell was so weak, I was wondering how I was even caught by it. Any Shinigami would be able to break free from it," said Ichigo. "And I've felt harder punches before." Dialgos was too shaken to react. He just stood there and watched as Ichigo raised his sword above his head. With his spirit energy packed into the blade, Ichigo swung it down with all of his might.

Ichigo's sword didn't directly make contact with Dialgos but his swing still had its intended effect. A second later the warlord's entire left arm was severed from his body, in front of a shell-shocked crowd. Gallons of blood spilled from the wound as Dialgos collapsed onto his knees. His henchmen dashed onto the ring as they saw their lord fall.

"Dialgos-sama!" they shouted. The warlord glared at Ichigo, his eyes now completely blood shot and his mouth drooling with saliva and blood.

"Kill that bastard!" shouted Dialgos in a roaring voice. "And kill his two bitches along with him!" Almost at once, the henchmen who were in the middle of the ring and the henchmen who had been watching from the stand moved into action. They unleashed their swords and charged at Ichigo.

"Oh shit!" swore Ichigo. He ran towards Karin and Yuzu.

"What do we do Onii-chan?" asked Yuzu.

"We get out of here now!" shouted Ichigo. He and his sisters ran as fast as they could from the thirty or so henchmen chasing behind them but before they could get to one of the arena exits their path was blocked by twenty more henchmen.

"We're surrounded Ichi-nii!" exclaimed Karin. _Shit, she's right, _Ichigo thought. Had he been at full strength he would have been hard pressed to take on this many men and live, but now, after an exhausting battle, he knew he didn't stand a chance. _We're doomed_.

* * *

It was at this moment that salvation arrived for Ichigo and his sisters. Only it came from a most unexpected place. Unbeknownst to everyone in the arena, an old man had been watching the entire fight from high in the sky. Only this wasn't an ordinary old man. For behind the facade of this senile hermit lay the visage of a Shinigami of unfathomable power.

"Ho, ho, ho, he sure has come far," said the former Captain Commander Yamamoto Shigekuni Genyrusai. "But I suppose even this is too much for him." The cane he had been holding in his right hand wasn't actually a cane. At a mere gesture it turned into a Zanpakuto with a brown scabbard.

"_Turn all of creation into ashes, Ryujin Jakka_!" chanted Yamamoto. The sword in the scabbard transformed into an immense fire dragon, with wings more than a hundred feet across. The old man sent the dragon flying down the arena below.

Just as Dialgos' henchmen were about to surround Ichigo and his sisters, a shout came from numerous people in the crowd, for a shadow soon descended from the sky. At once everyone looked up, and utter terror filled all of their hearts and minds.

"A dragon! Run for your life!" screamed one of the townsfolk. Before anyone could react the fire dragon breathed out a long stream of flames that instantly engulfed ten of Dialgos' henchmen. The men screamed as their bodies were set alit. The vast majority of the people in the arena quickly headed for the exits, but Dialgos' men, whether out of sheer stupidity or bravery, stood their ground _against _the dragon. One by one each of them were consumed by the flames.

"Yuzu, Karin! Let's get the hell of here!" shouted Ichigo. He had no idea what the heck was going on, but he sure wasn't going to stay and get roasted alive. The three of them merged with the fleeing crowd as the townsfolk rushed out of the arena and headed for the city. The warlord Dialgos and his men on the other hand, were stubbornly defiant to the end.

"Come you monster! You'll never defeat the great Dialgos-sama!" shouted Dialgos in an arrogant voice. A second later a tongue of flames jumped onto his face and the warlord screamed in pain. His henchmen saw him disappear into the changing rooms with his head on fire. Those who were still alive saw no reason to stay and get cooked, so they too fled the arena as fast as they could.

* * *

At the exact same moment, on the other side of Kabuki-cho, two Shinigami arrived at the city's eastern gates. Even from where they were, the flames coming from the arena were clearly visible.

"Look Renji! There's a huge fire in the distance!" exclaimed Rukia. She pointed to the smoke and flames to the northwest.

"Wait, I see something in the air," said Renji. He pointed to a bright red object flying in the air. "Isn't that...Ryujin Jakka?"

"Then Yamamoto-dono must be nearby. That that would mean Ichigo is also close!" Rukia and Renji Shunpo-ed over the city gates and started their search of the city. All around them they could see signs of chaos and anarchy as dozens of people either ran past them or shut themselves up in houses along the street.

"Come on Ichi-nii!" shouted Karin. She and Yuzu were now carrying Ichigo on their shoulders, for just after they entered the city's northern gates Ichigo suddenly collapsed on the ground. The fight with Dialgos had taken a far greater toll on his body than he had initially thought. It wasn't due to his wounds; apart from his face Ichigo hadn't been that seriously injured. But he had expended far too much of his spirit energy both in breaking out of a kido spell and unleashing his last attack against Dialgos.

The three of them navigated their way through the continuing press of townsfolk running past them. Just then they heard a loud bang coming from the arena followed by a shockwave that knocked all of them onto the ground.

"What was that?" asked Yuzu.

"It sounded like an explosion," said Karin. They looked up and saw that the billowing flames had become a towering inferno. Ichigo realized that the flames would soon spread in the city. He knew that they wouldn't be safe until they fled Kabuki-cho altogether.

"Come on, we've got to get out of the city," said Ichigo. He and his sisters headed for the eastern gate, as smoke from the arena started drifting over the city. Just then Ichigo heard a voice calling out his name. "Ichigo!" shouted a female voice. _I must be hearing things,_ Ichigo thought. Or the smoke and haze had muddied his senses. But then he saw two silhouettes in the distance, both approaching towards him at a rapid speed. There was no mistake now. Ichigo knew who they were. And he was glad to see them. As the silhouettes materialized into two familiar Shinigami, Ichigo called out "Rukia! Renji!"

As soon as she saw him, Rukia ran towards Ichigo as fast she could and hugged her arms around his chest, much to the surprise of Ichigo and his sisters.

"I'm glad that you're still alive," said Rukia.

* * *

Notes: This chapter might seem like a grand climax of sorts but the story is far from over. The only thing that ends this chapter is the story arc that began with the first chapter, which I will call the Rukongai arc. The next chapter will be the start of a new story arc.

Some readers have commented that Ichigo has been a bit OOC in the last few chapters, but I think his personality in the story so far is faithful to how he was during and after his fight with Aizen. He is definitely more ruthless than the Ichigo in the manga, but I thought Ichigo was pretty ruthless against Aizen too. And Ichigo won't always be this calm and collected. As the story goes on, he will have moments where he'll lose his resolve or experiences despair.

I thank everyone who has sent in reviews so far. Your feedback and critique has been very welcome.


	8. Chapter 8: Return to Seireitei

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 8 Return to Seireitei

After their moment of reunion, Rukia and Renji brought Ichigo and his sisters to a spot just outside Kabuki-cho's eastern gates where Rukia proceeded to heal Ichigo's body. As she did so she and Renji talked with Ichigo about his journeys in Rukongai for the past fortnight.

"So you stole food from the grocery vendors in Uraya-cho?" asked Rukia.

"Yeah. We had no money and begging didn't do us any good," Ichigo replied.

"But then you got into the fight with those armed men, who almost beat you to death before you regained some of your spirit energy. Then you killed all of them?" asked Renji. Ichigo nodded. Rukia and Renji took in his story for a brief moment, before they both burst out laughing. Ichigo didn't know what was funny.

"I can't believe you managed to do the exact same things Renji and I did when we were children," said Rukia.

"Only we didn't take it to as extreme lengths as you did," added Renji. Ichigo finally saw the funny side, and he grinned at both of them. They went on to discuss Ichigo's exploits in Kabuki-cho. When Ichigo told the full story of what had happened Rukia and Renji were amazed.

"Let me get this straight, you waltzed into the city under the control of a tyrannical warlord, murdered one of his henchmen, got yourself brought to this warlord and then you challenged him in a fight to the death in front of the entire city?" asked Rukia. Ichigo nodded. Renji rolled his eyes in disbelief

"Onii-chan was really brave when he took on the warlord's men barehanded," said Yuzu.

"And Ichi-nii called himself the 'Strawberry Ronin'," added Karin.

"Well, Mr. Strawberry Ronin, it seems you're now something of a celebrity in Rukongai," said Rukia as she finished healing Ichigo. She was about to say a clever remark when her eyes caught the sight of an old man coming up the hill towards them.

"Yamamoto-dono!" she exclaimed. She and Renji got onto their knees and bowed to the Captain Commander. Ichigo took one look at him and was immediately confused. Yamamoto was dressed in the same ragged black cloak worn by the old hermit who had saved his life.

"We meet again, Kurosaki Ichigo," said Yamamoto. "Your reiatsu appears to have increased greatly in the past few days."

"Uh, Yamamoto-san, were you the old man who saved me in Inuzuri?" asked Ichigo. Yamamoto nodded. Rukia and Renji were as surprised as Ichigo was about this revelation.

"How did you manage to encounter Ichigo Sotaicho?" asked Renji.

"It was but a chance encounter. I spotted a man who resembled Kurosaki Ichigo running past me whilst I was taking a stroll through Uraya-cho in the 78th district," said Yamamoto. "I came upon him after he defeated ten armed men were chasing him. I brought him to the cave near the hill overlooking that town and healed his wounds."

"So you really did stay in me and Renji's childhood hideout," said Rukia.

"I only stayed there whilst Kurosaki Ichigo was recovering. I did not wish to have my identity known to him," replied Yamamoto.

"So that's why you pretended to be an old hermit," said Ichigo. Yamamoto motioned for Rukia and Renji to stand up again.

"I entrust Kurosaki Ichigo and his sisters to the two of you," he said. "For I must continue on my mission." Before Ichigo could ask him what that was, Yamamoto Shunpo-ed out of sight.

"What mission was the old man talking about?" asked Ichigo.

"We're not quite either," replied Rukia. "I think it had something to do with tracking down this monster that attacked Seireitei about two years ago."

"You don't have to worry about it. I'm sure the Sotaicho will return eventually," said Renji. The two Shinigami thought it was about time to guide Ichigo and his sisters back to Seireitei. Before they prepared to leave, Ichigo saw a large group of townsfolk coming out of Kabuki-cho's eastern gates. He recognised two of the people among the group, the border guard Minazawa and the barman Tanaka.

"Who are they Ichigo?" asked Rukia.

"They're two of the people I met whilst I was in that city," said Ichigo. He watched as Minazawa and Tanaka approached him.

"You our most sincere gratitude Strawberry Ronin," said Minazawa. "You've free this city and our people from oppression."

"As a show of thanks, we're offering you a chance to stay in Kabuki-cho and become its new leader. Our city is crying out for strong leadership to restore the damage Dialgos has done, and you would be the most fitting person," said Tanaka. Ichigo considered his offer for a moment. It was quite tempting, but when he looked at his sisters, at Renji and finally at Rukia, he knew he had made up his mind. He faced Minazawa and Tanaka again.

"I thank you for the offer Tanaka-san, but I am afraid I'll have to decline," said Ichigo. "My family and my nakama are more important to me than title or rulership over any place." He could see that Minazawa and Tanaka were disappointed by his decision.

"Don't despair you guys. It's not like you really need me to provide leadership for your city. I never intended to liberate Kabuki-cho from oppression; that fact that you've regained your liberty was just an indirect consequence of me defeating Dialgos. Strong leadership doesn't come from the outside; it comes from within. I am sure that there are those among you who are far more capable of ruling the city than I am."

Ichigo's words seemed to provide the exact motivation the townsfolk needed. They realized amongst themselves that whatever service Ichigo had done for them, it was up to them to pick up the pieces and restore the city.

"I know you don't intend to stay, but we want you to depart here with something we can remember you by," said Minazawa. " May we erect a plague in your honour?"

"Sure I don't mind. But this time don't just put down Strawberry Ronin. My name is Kurosaki Ichigo." Minazawa and Tanaka understood Ichigo's words. They and the other people of Kabuki-cho, and the entire district of Chisio-oni, farewelled the Strawberry Ronin and his companions.

* * *

"Well that was kind of a raucous send off," said Rukia.

"You really were a hero to them Ichigo," said Renji. Ichigo said nothing but he was secretly pleased at the recognition he had gotten.

He and his sisters followed Rukia and Renji on the road back to the border post. When they got to the point where the forest on both sides opened out, Rukia and Renji called for a halt.

"Why are we stopping here Rukia?" asked Ichigo. Rukia didn't directly reply. Instead she picked up a stick nearby and drew a four-foot wide spiritual circle on the road.

"What's this circle for Rukia-san?" asked Yuzu. Rukia responded to her question by pulling out a strange device that resembled a remote control.

"The circle I drew is meant to act as a waypoint to facilitate the activation of this transportation device," said Rukia.

"A transportation device?" asked Ichigo.

"It's one of the latest inventions of the R & D institute. Those scientists managed to replicate the effect of Kido Corps captain Tsukabishi's mass displacement spell," explained Renji. "With this, we can teleport to the vicinity of one of Seireitei's four outer gates instantaneously."

"Huh, we're going to teleport to Seireitei?"

"Of course you dipshit!" scolded Rukia. "Do you really think we're going to walk all the way back? It took Renji and me three days of non-stop Shunpo-ing just to reach this place. Since neither you nor your sisters can Shunpo, it would take us weeks to get back."

"I see your point now," said Ichigo. It would indeed be far more convenient to teleport to Seireitei rather than trudging through hundreds of miles of Rukongai. Renji directed Ichigo and his sisters to stand in the middle of the circle and to hold each other's hands rightly. Renji and Rukia then stepped into the circle.

"Alright, here we go," said Rukia. She pressed on the main button of the device. The spirit circle started glowing. "Brace yourselves. Teleportation will being in three seconds. One, two, three!"

At that moment everyone standing inside the circle was cast into a blank void, where neither space nor time could be perceived. Rukia initially thought something had gone wrong. But a second later the space around them warped into view again and the group found themselves in the middle of a street. When the displacement finally finished and the circle disappeared, everyone except Rukia started vomiting. Ichigo had never felt a more disorienting experience in his life. His sisters fell onto their hands and knees in dizziness.

"Ugh, I am never going through that experience ever again," said Ichigo.

"Hmm, that was indeed strange," said Rukia, who didn't seem to be affected by the displacement. "Those R &D guys didn't tell me what the teleportation would look like. Oh well." She looked around and was relieved to see that they had arrived in District 1 Junrinan, Nishi Rukongai. She gave the others some time to recover before urging them to follow her.

"Where are we going now Rukia?" asked Ichigo.

"To see some old friends," replied Rukia. She led them through the surrounding streets of Nishi Rukongai before they arrived at a large two-storey dwelling. Rukia knocked on the front door. There was no answer at first so Rukia knocked again. This time she heard footsteps coming to the door. Ichigo was taken aback when he saw the person who opened the door.

"Ganju?" he asked. The person at the door was indeed Shiba Ganju, the man who had aided Ichigo in his invasion of Soul Society to rescue Rukia, almost six years ago. His hair had grown slightly longer but otherwise he had not changed much.

"Rukia-san, Lieutenant Abarai, and er...Ichigo?" asked Ganju. He was just as confused as Ichigo was. "It's been a long time since I've seen you guys but what is this all about?"

"That I can explain," said Rukia. After a few minutes of rather difficult exposition, everyone was brought up to speed with developments.

"Alright, I understand everything now," said Ganju. "Please come inside." Ganju led them through the house until they reached a large bedroom. Sitting on a mat smoking a cigar was Ganju's sister, Shiba Kukaku, who had not changed since Ichigo last saw her six years ago. When she looked to see who had come to see her, she was just as confused as Ganju had been

"Eh, Rukia, Renji, it's a surprise to see you again," said Kukaku. "And Ichigo? What are you doing here? And who are those two girls standing beside you?"

"Ah, Kukaku-san, I can explain everything," said Rukia. She whispered into Kukaku's ear for a few minutes, after which Kukaku understood the situation.

"I see, you and sisters were killed by a hollow and sent to Soul Society eh? It must have been a tough time for you out there in those harsh districts of Rukongai."

Rukia whispered something else into Kukaku's ear before she faced Ichigo and his sisters.

"What did you say to her?" asked Ichigo.

"I asked her if your sisters could stay in her house," replied Rukia. "She happily agreed."

"Huh? You want Karin and Yuzu to stay here?"

"Think about it Ichigo. There is no safer district in Rukongai than Junrinan. Kukaku and Ganju both know you very well. Kukaku-san especially would be delighted to look after your sisters. She'll protect them just as well as you did."

"What about me Rukia? Aren't I going to be staying here as well?" asked Ichigo. Both Rukia and Renji shook their heads.

"You must accompany Renji and me to Seireitei Ichigo," said Rukia. "The Sotaicho and the other captains have special plans for you." Though Ichigo might have asked further, he had a good inkling of what those plans might be.

"Alright, your plan seems quite reasonable for now," said Ichigo. "Just give me a moment to speak with Karin and Yuzu alone." Rukia and Renji stayed in the room with Kukaku as Ichigo led his sisters outside for a moment.

"There's something I need to speak to about, my dear sisters," said Ichigo.

"What is it Onii-chan?" asked Yuzu.

"From now on, the two of you will be staying with that lovely lady over there." Ichigo pointed in Kukaku's direction. Both Yuzu and Karin were stunned.

"We're going to live in this place?" asked Karin. "What about you Ichi-nii? Aren't you going to stay with us too?" When Ichigo shook his head, his two sisters started crying.

"Why Onii-chan? Why are you leaving us?" cried Yuzu."I thought you said you'd be by our sides forever."

"I'm sorry for doing this Yuzu, Karin. I really don't have much of a choice. But I promise that I'll come visit you regularly. And the nice lady who owns this place will take good care of you."

"Do you promise that you abandon us like Otoo-san did?" asked Karin.

"I promise. I will never forget both of you," said Ichigo. "Please don't be sad." Both Yuzu and Karin seemed to accept Ichigo's words. They stopped crying and followed Ichigo back into the room where Rukia, Renji, Kukaku and Ganju were waiting.

"How are your sisters Ichigo?" asked Rukia.

"They seem to have accepted the arrangements," replied Ichigo. He watched as Yuzu and Karin went to greet Kukaku.

"Don't worry about these two Ichigo. I'll make sure to care for them as I would if they were my two own daughters!" exclaimed Kukaku. Ichigo couldn't help but chuckle.

"Thanks a lot Kukaku-san, Ganju-san. I'll see you around." He said goodbye to his sisters before leaving the house with Rukia and Renji.

"At last, we can finally return to Seireitei," said Renji.

* * *

The three of them arrived in front of the Western Hakutomon, or White Way Gate. Ichigo was expecting to see the giant Jidanbo, so he was surprised when the gate automatically lifted up high enough to allow them to walk through.

"This gate opens by itself now?" asked Ichigo. "What happened to the giant Jidanbo?"

"The Central 46 thought it would be more efficient and effective for the gates to be operated by an electronic system," replied Rukia. "Giants are prone to bouts of laziness after all and as your experience showed, they could be bribed or forced to open the gates against their will."

"Jidanbo and the other giants haven't been dismissed yet," added Renji. "They're still around as backup in case the automatic system breaks down, or if Seireitei is attacked."

"Hmm, I see," said Ichigo. As he followed Rukia and Renji, his eyes set upon the Senzaikyu tower and the Sokyoku Hill far in the distance. Both were exactly as he had remembered them since his last visit to Soul Society. Ichigo then glanced at the surrounding streets and buildings as he walked past them. He remembered running through these streets after his initial break-in into Seireitei.

After about an hour or so of walking, Rukia and Renji finally led Ichigo to the base of the Senzaikyu tower. The three of them climbed up the long flight of stairs that had been the sight of several memorable encounters for Ichigo.

"Man, just walking up these stairs brings back memories," said Ichigo. Rukia and Renji smiled. For all three of them, these stairs and the tower in the distance were the locations of several life-changing events in their recent past. They walked through the myriad of buildings that had been the location of the epic fight between Ichigo and Kenpachi. Past those buildings was a mile long promenade lined with tower-like pillars on both sides, the site of Renji's fight against his captain. At the end of the promenade was another flight of stairs that hugged the outside edge of the Senzaikyu tower.

"I've never been up this flight of stairs before," said Ichigo.

"Of course you haven't," said Renji. "These stairs lead to the first division barracks. Only the captains and lieutenants are allowed free access to them."

"Then why are you taking me there?"

"You've received a special invitation from the Sotaicho. He has a keen interest in meeting you Ichigo," said Rukia with a smile.

"Eh, the Sotaicho? I thought he retired. Who is the new Sotaicho then?" asked Ichigo.

"You'll see when you meet him. It's going to be a surprise," said Rukia. A large grin was on her face. Ichigo suspected something fishy was up.

Finally, after navigating their way through half of Seireitei, Rukia, Renji and Ichigo reached their destination, the first division barracks. A large square tower with the kanji 'one' marked the entrance to the barracks, which was guarded by a batch of first division Shinigami. When they saw Rukia and Renji, they immediately opened the doors into the barracks. Ichigo followed them through a long corridor until they entered a large veranda that overlooked the forest at the base of the Sokyoku Hill. There was nothing especially distinctive about this veranda, except for the three individuals standing by a table at the far right. Ichigo's eyes widened in surprise when he saw them.

"Byakuya, Ukitake-san, Kyoraku-san!" he exclaimed. The three captains were standing in an unusual formation. Kyoraku stood in the middle behind the desk whilst Byakuya and Ukitake stood by his sides. The 6th and 13th division captains motioned to their lieutenants to stand behind them. Ichigo on the other hand, was ordered to stand right in front of Kyoraku.

"Welcome back to Soul Society, Kurosaki Ichigo," said Kyoraku in a very friendly and informal tone. "It has been a long time since I've seen your face."

"Uh, are you the Captain Commander now, Kyoraku-san?" asked Ichigo.

"Only the acting Captain Commander. Old Yamaji told me he was going on a long service leave and said he was coming back one day. However, until he comes back I basically run the show. But that is something that is better discussed some other time. The reason why I have brought you here is to tell you what our plans for you are."

"You have plans for me?"

"Yes. We thought about doing this as soon as we heard you had died in the world of the living. But now that your spiritual powers have been partially restored, there is but one path open for you now: you must become a Shinigami once again."

* * *

Notes: Yep, that's right folks, Ichigo's going to become a Shinigami again. But this time he's going to through the Academy! The upcoming chapters will see Ichigo learn how to be a _proper_ Shinigami as he learns all the basics from the ground up.

The first half of this chapter hopefully answers some questions a few readers had about why Yamamoto didn't reveal his identity to Ichigo. But the true reasons behind Yamamoto's retirement from the Gotei 13 won't be revealed until much further down the track.


	9. Chapter 9: Shinigami Academy

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 9 Shinigami Academy

"I must become a Shinigami once again?" asked Ichigo. He looked at Kyoraku, at the other two captains, and finally at Rukia and Renji. Their faces were all telling him the same message.

"But what if I don't want to become a Shinigami? The only reason I became a Substitute Shinigami in the first place was to save my family. Now that my sisters are safe in Rukongai, I don't see why I should become a Shinigami again," said Ichigo. Kyoraku pondered Ichigo's words. He confided with his fellow captains before he allowed Byakuya to respond.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, do you know what becomes of souls in Rukongai who possess vast amounts of uncontrolled spiritual power?" asked Byakuya. Ichigo shook his head. "We kill them. Those who cannot control their powers become a danger to Soul Society. The Central 46 cannot tolerate anyone with significant spiritual power who is not under the banner of the Gotei 13."

It took Ichigo nearly a minute to comprehend his words.

"Do you understand Kurosaki Ichigo? If you continue running around Rukongai with your spiritual powers unchecked we will be forced to kill you, especially if you use those powers to kill other Rukongai citizens." Byakuya's last words were clearly directed at Ichigo's exploits during his time in Rukongai.

"So...if I stayed in Rukongai, I'd face the death penalty because I possess reiatsu?" asked Ichigo.

"It's not that simple I'm afraid," said Ukitake. "Nor is it as harsh as the impression Captain Kuchiki gave you. All we are saying is that a person with spiritual powers as great as yours belongs in the Seireitei. If you stayed in Rukongai, your mere presence would cause undue influence on the people around you." Ukitake's words made Ichigo think of the effect his spiritual pressure would have on Yuzu and Karin.

"There is one more qualification to my previous statement," said Kyoraku. "We are not saying you absolutely must become a Shinigami. We are only saying you must undertake the training to become one. If you complete the training, you'll be admitted as an average member of one of the thirteen Imperial Court Guard Squads. If you fail, the only consequences are that your powers will be sealed and you will be allowed to return to Rukongai."

"I finally get what you mean Kyoraku-san," said Ichigo. "You're saying I don't have to become a Shinigami right now, I just have to do the training to become one. That sounds a much more acceptable situation. I thought I was going to resume my duties as a Substitute Shinigami again." Ichigo's words caused Kyoraku and Ukitake to burst out laughing, as did Rukia and Renji. Only Byakuya was able to restrain himself, but even he saw the funny side.

"My word you really are a funny guy Kurosaki-san," said Kyoraku. "The whole 'Substitute Shinigami' title was actually something we made up to allow you to keep using your Shinigami powers, as we thought you might prove useful to us. Otherwise, your powers would have been sealed. In fact, Old man Yama was going to seal your powers once Aizen was defeated because your services would be no longer required."

Ichigo took in the words he heard from Kyoraku. _So back then I wasn't a legitimate Shinigami all along. They were just using me as a tool to defeat Aizen_. _Me losing all of my spiritual powers must have been a bonus for them. _When he realized the great irony of the whole situation, Ichigo also started laughing.

"Aha, ha, ha, I finally get the joke Kyoraku-san," he said. "Are you saying that this time I can finally become a full fledged Shinigami with all the privileges I deserve?"

"Of course!" exclaimed the Captain Commander. "If you're gifted enough you might even become a captain one day!"

"Alright. I accept your offer. I will become a Shinigami once again. Just tell me what I need to do." With that the acceptance meeting had been concluded. Byakuya, Ukitake and Renji left the Captain Commander's office and returned to their barracks. Rukia was allowed to stay behind for a while longer.

"Well, I guess this is a temporary goodbye for now Ichigo," said Rukia. She kissed him on the cheek. "Good luck in your training. I'll come visit you at the Academy and your sisters in Junrinan when I have the time to do so."

"Thanks a lot Rukia," said Ichigo with a smile. He watched as she left the barracks.

"Now then Kurosaki-san, there is someone who I would like you to meet," said Kyoraku. "He is the person who will assist you in enrolling in the Shino Academy." The Captain Commander opened a secret door on the wall behind the desk and motioned Ichigo to follow him. Ichigo found himself in a private study room filled with tons of bookshelves. But his attention was completely focused on the person who was sitting down on a couch at the opposite corner of the room. His appearance was unmistakable. No one in Soul Society or the real world dressed like him.

"Urahara!" exclaimed Ichigo. He couldn't believe his eyes. There he was, the eccentric owner of a black market shop in Karakura Town, still dressed up in a green coat, a slouch hat and wooden sandals.

"Yo it's good to see you Kurosaki-san!" Urahara grinned. "I'll be taking care of you from now on." Ichigo looked at Kyoraku again and saw the Captain Commander had a sly grin on his face as well.

"Are you telling me Urahara is the head of this Academy now?" asked Ichigo.

"Yup. The Central 46 requested that he be appointed as the new Headmaster," said Kyoraku. "Well then, I'll leave the rest to you Kisuke."With that, Kyoraku left the private study room. Urahara motioned Ichigo to follow him.

"Come now Kurosaki-san," said Urahara. "I suppose the Sotaicho and the other captains have already explained some things to you, but I will explain to you about the rest you need to know." As he spoke he led Ichigo out of the first division barracks towards the bottom of the Senzaikyu tower.

"I assume the Sotaicho told you the reason why you must become a Shinigami again."

"He sure did. Though Byakuya's words got me the most. I guess when faced between a choice of either becoming a Shinigami or death, I'd rather choose the former," said Ichigo. Urahara gave a small chuckle.

"Captain Kuchiki is famous for using harsh words but what he said was roughly correct. The Soul Society, and the Gotei 13 in particular, has many absolute rules. The rule about all souls with spiritual power being required to undergo training at the Shino Academy is one of them. Every single Shinigami in the Gotei 13 has studied at the Academy since it was founded some 2,100 years ago. The Academy also trains the Onimitsukido and the Kido Corps too, so depending on how you go, you might not enter the Gotei 13 when you graduate."

By now Urahara and Ichigo had arrived at the rear end of the Senzaikyu and were heading north.

"Uh Urahara-san, can I ask you other questions about the Academy?" asked Ichigo.

"Of course you can. You may ask me about everything."

"How long would I be expected to stay at the Academy for?"

"The standard curriculum at the Academy is taught over a six-year period. However, there have been a few exceptionally gifted students in the past who have completed the entire course in a much shorter span of time. Two in particular, Shiba Kaien and Ichimaru Gin, completed their training in less than two years. Both were regarded as geniuses."

"I see." Ichigo had heard little about Shiba Kaien other than he was the deceased brother of Ganju and Kukaku, and the former 13th division lieutenant. But having fought with Ichimaru during the final stages of the Battle for Fake Karakura Town, he could understand why that person might have been called a genius.

"Um, Urahara-san, how many students are at the Academy?"

" Let me see..." pondered Urahara. "I honestly have no idea exactly how many students are studying at the Academy at any one moment, but there are roughly around four hundred students enrolled as part of the first year intake for any one year. The later years have generally fewer students as many tend to drop out. In terms of the number of classes per year level, the first year intakes are generally divided into four classes of one hundred students each."

"And, is there any selection process that will determine which class I will be assigned to?" asked Ichigo.

"There is. You'll see when we arrive at the front entrance, but after your enrolment details are verified you'll have to pass through a brief selection exam that will determine the cohort that you'll be assigned to. Each cohort is ranked according to the grades they score in the selection exam, with most of the high achievers assigned to the first class."

"Uh-huh. Sounds like this Academy is pretty similar to the high school I went to in the real world," said Ichigo.

"I guess you could say that," Urahara smiled. "Now, one final word of advice before we arrive at the Academy. You should use an alias when you make your enrolment. Your real identity is far too well known. There are many students in the Academy whose parents are members of the Gotei 13 squads whom you fought during your assault on Soul Society to rescue Kuchiki-san. They would have almost certainly heard of the orange-haired Ryoka who dressed like a Shinigami. In addition, there are probably a few first timers here who come from the outer districts of Rukongai. They might have heard about the 'Strawberry Ronin' who defeated an infamous bandit warlord."

"Oh right, I get what you mean. But what about my hair Urahara-san? Even if I call myself by a different name, somebody would be bound to recognise me by the colour of my hair."

"You're right I hadn't thought about that." Urahara took out something from his pocket. "Here's something that will completely dye your hair. Just select the colour you want, press it against your scalp, and your hair will instantly turn into a different colour."

Ichigo looked at what Urahara had given him. It kind of resembled a syringe. He put it in his shirt pocket.

After about an hour of walking, Urahara and Ichigo finally arrived at the front entrance of the Shino Academy. Ichigo looked up and beheld the main building of the Academy in awe. The building was mostly rectangular in nature with one central portion and two wings on either side. Though the side potions were covered with flat roofs, the central portion of the building was topped with an immense, pavilion like structure with four dragon shaped horns located at all four corners of the highest roof. The grounds of the Academy were surrounded by a ten-foot high stone wall that ran for hundreds of yards. In the middle of the wall, directly opposite the central portion of the main building, was a large gate topped with a pavilion like roof.

As Ichigo followed Urahara through the front gate, he beheld a courtyard that was packed almost to the brim with people. A large number were dressed in white shirts and red and blue trousers. A fair number of others were dressed in the clothes of nobility. The rest were wearing clothes similar to what Ichigo was wearing.

"Wow, there are so many people here," said Ichigo.

"It just so happens that today is the beginning of the new Academy year," said Urahara. "Many old students have returned from their summer holidays whilst a large number of students are enrolling for the first time. This is where I must leave you. You'll have to make do with the enrolment process on your own."

"That's fine with me Urahara-san." Ichigo watched as Urahara walked towards the front entrance of the main Academy building. Those who were wearing the Academy robes noticed him pass by and rushed to greet him. Ichigo found it amusing that Urahara had already become a much-admired headmaster.

"Alright, now where do I have to go to get enrolled," said Ichigo to himself. He walked around the courtyard and mingled with the other people for a few minutes before he heard a voice on a loudspeaker.

"All first year students are to report to the desks outside the main entrance immediately," it said. Ichigo wondered what it meant by main entrance, but when he saw a crowd of people rush forward he decided to join them. In the distance Ichigo could make out a long line of desks, behind which sat people dressed in grey robes. He guessed that they must be teachers, or at least the people in charge of enrolment.

Ichigo stood in the line with the other first time enrollers. As he waited for the line to move he thought about the last advice Urahara had given him. _Disguise myself as somebody else huh?_ He conceded that it was probably a good idea. He took out the syringe device in his pocket, selected black as the ink colour, and plunged it into the top of his head. Ichigo gasped in pain for a brief moment before the ink quickly took effect. In an instant his trademark orange locks were gone, replaced with jet black hair. _Now then, what should I call myself?_ Ichigo considered that his surname probably wasn't that well known so he decided to keep it. For his fake name, Ichigo thought back to something Rukia had said to him whilst he had been a Substitute Shinigami.

"_You remind me of him. The one whom I admired. If your hair were a little longer and black in colour, you'd look almost identical._" Ichigo guessed that Rukia must have been referring to her former lieutenant, Shiba Kaien. _Kaien, huh, that's not a bad name to call myself_, Ichigo thought.

At last it was finally Ichigo's turn to undergo the enrolment process. He sat down on a chair beside a middle-aged woman with big glasses.

"May I have your name please?" she asked in a squeaky voice.

"Um, Kurosaki Kaien," answered Ichigo. To his delight, the woman promptly recorded it down. He answered about two dozen more questions, most of them mundane in nature, such as his place of residency, his family history, and any connections he might have with current members of the Gotei 13. Ichigo answered them in a way that drew no suspicion at all about his former past. When the questioning was finished, the woman handed Ichigo a transcript with all the answers filled in, and directed him to enter the main building and head to the left.

Ichigo entered the main building and followed the directions as he was told. He eventually found himself standing outside what appeared to be a large examination room. A teacher inspected his enrolment application, found all the details on it acceptable, and admitted Ichigo into the room. Ichigo was directed by another teacher inside to a table roughly in the middle of what must have been about five hundred odd seats. Ichigo sat down on his seat and inspected the examination script book in front of him. _Huh, this looks a lot like the exams I had for my final college years, _Ichigo thought.

When every single first time enroller had been admitted into the examination hall, the teachers gave the signal for a fifteen minute reading time. Ichigo inspected the questions the examination paper asked and was surprised to find most of it consisted of literacy and numeracy questions. Of the questions that bore no relation to anything he had studied in the real world, Ichigo thought he had a good grasp of most of them, as they were questions relating to the general nature of the Soul Society, Seireitei and the Gotei 13.

The teacher soon commenced the examination and set a time limit of three hours. There were more than three hundred questions in the exam in total but Ichigo breezed through most of them. The literacy and numeracy questions were easier than the questions he had encountered in his final high school exams. The only questions Ichigo stumbled upon were ones that asked about the relation of Soul Society to the other realms. He thought that such questions were mainly theological in nature and would probably have stumped most other candidates.

After the exam ended, the candidates handed in their papers and were ordered to go to the other end of the main building. When he got there, Ichigo saw a group of teachers standing in a room. Each of the teachers appeared to be holding round spheres that Ichigo thought were familiar. Then he remembered. _Those look like the Reishaku cores that Kukaku-san used to launch the cannon ball into Seireitei!_ As he watched the candidates in the line in front of him, he saw what this test was about. Each candidate placed their hands on the round spheres. A second later, their bodies were surrounded by glowing spheres of energy. Some of the spheres were large and well defined; others were tiny or had awkward shapes. A few of the hopeless candidates could not produce a sphere at all.

"Please put your hands on these spheres and concentrate all of your Reiyoku," said one of the teachers when Ichigo finally got to the front of the line. Ichigo placed both hands on the sphere and remembered the trick Ganju had taught him. _Imagine my hands falling into a void..._

The teachers all gasped in astonishment when Ichigo produced a sphere of energy that was nearly ten foot in diameter, and furthermore, was actually stable for nearly a whole minute. Of all the students who had their spirit energy levels tested, none of them could maintain a stable sphere for more than a few seconds before it dissipated.

"You may take your hands off now, um, Kurosaki-san," said the teacher as she glanced at Ichigo's enrolment form. Ichigo removed his hands from the sphere. _Hmm, these Reishaku cores drain spirit energy_, he thought when he realized his reiatsu was a tad lower than before.

* * *

After both selection exams had finished, Ichigo waited out in the courtyard with the other candidates as the results were processed. The processing took only an hour, before two teachers came out of the main building's entrance carrying a large noticeboard. After they placed it on the ground to the left of the entrance, the teachers ordered all of the candidates to inspect the noticeboard, for it contained the names of all the candidates who had been successful in gaining entrance to the Academy, with the corresponding classes they had been assigned to. When it was Ichigo's turn to read the noticeboard, he was surprised to see he had achieved the highest results out of all the candidates. As a consequence, he had been assigned to the special accelerated class. Ichigo quickly jotted down his student number.

The teachers directed all successful enrolling students to report to the Academy's uniform office on the second floor of the building. There each student received their standard Academy Shihakushos. All students got a white kosode shirt but their hakama, or trousers, differed depending on their gender. Males got blue trousers, the girls got red ones. Once he got his uniform, Ichigo got dressed into them in the change rooms nearby. He carried his peasant clothes and his sword with him as the teachers subsequently directed him out of the main building and to the student dormitories towards the rear of the Academy campus.

When Ichigo got to the entrance of the student dormitories, he was asked to state his name and student number, which happened to be 'A 1515'. After he stated his number Ichigo was given the number of his dormitory room, along with a set of keys. He was then directed to find his dormitory room, place all of his belongings inside the room and report to the Academy's main assembly hall.

Ichigo tried to follow the instructions given but it took him some time to locate his dormitory room. He had to walk up three flights of stairs and travel to the opposite end of the dormitories before he found it. When he opened the door and entered, Ichigo was disappointed by the size of the room. There was little more than a bed on the ground and a study desk. He discovered that the bathroom was shared with the room right next door to his room. _God I hope I don't get an unpleasant neighbour, _Ichigo thought. He placed his peasant clothes and his sword beside the bed before he locked the room.

Upon returning to the main Academy building and arriving near the assembly hall, Ichigo was given a stack of textbooks, a notebook, and a felt-tip pen by a few teachers sitting outside the hall. Ichigo was then ordered to take a seat inside. He quickly found a seat near the back rows and plonked the stuff he had been given under the seat. He sat in his seat for a while as the remaining first year students filled the hall. Once every first year had been accounted for, Ichigo watched with interest as Urahara, dressed in more formal looking robes, walked to a podium at the front of the assembly hall. Ichigo was stunned however, when he saw the person who was standing behind the headmaster. _What the hell? Yoruichi-san? She's at the Academy too?_ Ichigo thought. He decided to ponder it some other time, for Urahara began his introductory speech to the freshmen.

Ichigo paid scant attention to the majority of Urahara's speech, as it was mainly about matters Urahara had already told him before. It was only the end part of the speech that Ichigo listened in closely.

"Remember, we at the Shino Reijutsuin, the Shinigami Academy, have a proud history stretching back for more than two thousand years," addressed Urahara. "Countless skilled Shinigami of the Gotei 13, Onimitsukido officers, and Kido Corps members have passed through these hallowed walls. We expect each of you to continue that proud legacy!" Those last words seemed to mark the end of the speech. Ichigo was relieved that the entrance ceremony was finally over. _Alright, now the real work finally begins_, thought Ichigo.

* * *

Notes: I hope the content of this chapter will address some of the questions that a few reviewers have asked, such as whether any of the students at the Academy would recognise Ichigo. Most of the details regarding the structure and processes of the Shinigami Academy were taken from the Bleach Wiki.

PS: Keen readers might note the significance of the '1515' reference. :)


	10. Chapter 10: Lesson 1Know Your Kido

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 10 Lesson 1: Know Your Kido

Ichigo had been prepared to endure long hours of hard work and study, but the first two months at the Academy was possibly the most boring school experience he had ever endured in his life, living or dead. He had expected to start on the basics of Shinigami combat right away. Instead, most of the lessons at the beginning focused on teaching freshmen about the duties of a Shinigami, Onimitsukido or Kido Corps officer, as well as the code of ethics and morality that they were expected to follow. The other major subject at the beginning taught freshmen of the long-winded history of Soul Society.

Ichigo found both classes incredibly tedious. The classes on Shinigami duties and ethics covered things that Ichigo was more than familiar with; he had lived and breathed the life of a Shinigami five years before, and with a few minor exceptions, knew every single duty expected of a Shinigami. He was also familiar with the code of honour that Shinigami abided by, as his interactions with Rukia and her brother Byakuya had already taught him much about how Shinigamis were expected to behave.

The history classes were slightly more interesting. For the first seven weeks or so the lessons covered famous events that took place centuries or even millennia ago, and legendary figures who Ichigo had never heard of. Ichigo's interest in the classes increases however, when the teachers finally started covering recent Soul Society history. He was very curious and a tad offended by how the teachers covered such groundbreaking events like the Ryoka invasion of Soul Society and the Arrancar War.

The way the teachers taught the former event depicted Ichigo and his nakama as a gang of nefarious Ryoka who broke into Seireitei for the first time in three hundred years, fought against captains and lieutenants of the Gotei 13, and caused massive destruction to Seireitei's landmarks such as the Sokyoku. Whilst such a description was quite accurate for Ichigo's role up until the day of Rukia's execution, Ichigo found it baffling that there was almost no mention of the subsequent conspiracy that happened afterwards, with the sole exception being a brief summary of the betrayal of the captains of the 3rd, 5th and 9th divisions.

The lessons on the Arrancar War were even less accurate than Ichigo imagined. All that the teachers taught were that the three traitor captains created group of hollows with Shinigami powers and led them in an invasion on Soul Society, and that the traitors were ultimately defeated by the Gotei 13. Ichigo found it disturbing that so much of what actually went on during the War had been left out. There was no mention of what the objective of the entire war had been about; no mention that the Gotei 13 had been aided by the Visoreds or himself; and most disturbing of all, there was absolutely no mention of the Hogyoku, hollowfication or Aizen's ultimate fate. _Hmm, something seems suspicious about all of this, _Ichigo thought. _There is no way these teachers could have carelessly left out so many important details. Perhaps the higher ups have ordered them to cover up everything suspicious that went on during the War_.

Another aspect that made Ichigo's life at the Academy quite boring was that no one in his class interacted with him in any meaningful way, apart from the everyday greeting and an occasional class discussion. Ichigo himself was partially to blame for this, for he mainly kept to himself. Within days of starting the classes he had discovered that the majority of his class were the sons or daughters of noble families who lived in Seireitei. As he expected, nearly all of them looked down upon a people from Rukongai. The fact that Ichigo had told them he was from a district like Inuzuri and the fact they knew he had scored the highest in the entrance exam made them even more hostile to him.

The only real friend Ichigo had was the person who lived next door to him. As Ichigo arrived back at his dormitory, he was greeted by his neighbour, a scrawny looking kid called Minazawa Taneko.

"Hey there Kaien-kun, how was your day?" asked Taneko.

"Boring as usual," replied Ichigo.

"That's to be expected of the history classes, but I found out from the teachers that we'll be starting Kido classes next week!"

"That's nice to hear." Ichigo smiled at Taneko before he entered his room. He had first met him when he stumbled upon the boy in the shared bathroom. They soon struck a bond when Ichigo discovered that Taneko was the son of the border guard Minazawa. He was surprised to hear that Minazawa had become the mayor of Kabuki-cho with Tanaka as his deputy. Apparently, the city had recovered enough for Minazawa to send his son to study at the Academy. Ichigo hadn't been surprised when Taneko told him his dream was to become as strong as the 'Strawberry Ronin' who had overthrown the tyrannical Dialgos. After he learned that fact, Ichigo had taken precautions not to make Taneko find out that he was the 'Strawberry Ronin'.

* * *

As Taneko had predicted, the Kido lessons finally began at the start of the third week. With most of the theoretical material having been covered, Ichigo was pleased to hear that nearly all of the classes from here on out would be focused on the four disciplines of Shinigami combat: Kido, Zanjutsu, Hakuda and Hohou.

The first Kido lesson was held in the special purpose Kido instruction centre. The complex contained a large target range at its centre but the class found themselves in one of the instruction halls. The Kido instructor, a plump middle-aged woman with brown hair, greeted them.

"Alright class, today we are going to begin learning the fundamentals of one of the most crucial disciplines that all Shinigami must know, and that is the Art of Kido," said the instructor in a slightly squeaky voice. The majority of the students groaned as the instructor rambled on for some time about pointless descriptions and administrative matters.

"Now that the explanatory stuff is finished, we will start with the basic steps of casting a Kido spell," said the instructor. "A Kido spell requires a Shinigami to expend a portion of their Reiyoku and transmit it outwards in the form of a spell. Bakudo spells transmit spirit energy into defensive techniques; Hado spells transmit spirit energy into offensive and destructive techniques. The various spell chants modify how that energy is transmitted outward, but in before you can learn any of the spells you first know how to channel spirit energy out of your body."

"Um, sensei, how do we do that?" asked a student.

"I'll show you right now." The instructor created a small red sphere of energy in the palm of her hands. "Remember back to the reiatsu exam you all went through prior to gaining enrolment. The Reishaku cores were devices that made channelling your spirit energy a much easier task. What we're going to do now is the exact same process, except without the aid of the Reishaku cores."

After the instructor finished talking, she ordered each of the students to channel their spirit energy into red spheres in the palms of their hands. Many students had a difficult time understanding how to do it, and needed the instructor's assistance. Ichigo however, had grasped the concept before the instructor had even finished talking. He remembered the ability his former Zanpakuto had. _This is just like how the Getsuga Tensho ate my reiatsu and discharged it_, Ichigo thought. He recalled the process that had occurred when the reiatsu discharged and tried to replicate it in his hands. On his first attempt he created an unstable ball of energy that quickly dissipated, but on his second attempt he formed a foot wide solid sphere of energy in the palm of his hands. The other students around him were stunned that someone was able to channel such a large amount of spirit energy.

"You did it perfectly!" exclaimed the instructor when she saw Ichigo's ball of energy. "Now everyone, I want you to follow Kurosaki Kaien-san's lead." Ichigo's face flustered when he sensed the envious looks he was getting from a large portion of the class.

_Crap, if I'm not careful I could blow my cover_, Ichigo thought. He tried his best not to attract attention but this proved a difficult task when nearly half of the class couldn't even get past the first hurdle of channelling spirit energy. It took at least two classes for every student to get the hang of channelling spirit energy.

"Now class, as all of you have got the hang of the basics, we can finally start learning the most basic Kido spells," said the instructor at the beginning of the third class. The first spell the instructor got the students to practice was the first Bakudo, _Sai_. Before she got them to cast _Sai_ on each other, the instructor ordered the students to practice the spell on a set of target dummies first. Nearly half the students in the class couldn't cast the spell properly, as they failed to even twist the dummies' arms. Ichigo once again cursed his previous experience, as he not only cast _Sai_ without a hitch; he also cast the spell with enough power to bend the entire dummy's body.

The resentment from the rest of the class became even more acute when it was time for the students to practice casting _Sai_ on each other. Whilst most students failed to bind their partners, the classmate Ichigo cast his spell on screamed in pain, for his arms and legs were bent back so hard that they were dislocated. _Shit, I put too much power into that spell, _Ichigo thought. The instructor undid the spell on the student and sent him to the infirmary. As the class ended she approached Ichigo to speak to him.

"Your display today was quite impressive Kurosaki Kaien, but next time could you try to take it easy on your fellow classmates?" asked the instructor.

"I'll try to, sensei," replied Ichigo. As he walked back to his dormitory he bumped into Taneko.

"I saw what you did in class today Kaien-san and it was brilliant!" exclaimed Taneko. "Were you taught how to do Kido before you joined the Academy?"

"No I haven't been taught Kido before," Ichigo replied. Whilst that was partly true, he deliberately lied to Taneko about his previous combat experience.

"Man you must be a tensai then." The word that Taneko called Ichigo was definitely the label that the other classmates used as the Kido classes progressed. As the instructor started teaching the class more difficult spells, Ichigo continued to find himself in the position as the best student in the class. He was aware that a group of students in particular soon began making veiled threats and gestures towards him at the beginning and end of every class.

Ichigo tried to ignore those taunts the best he could, but he knew that one day he would slip up and cause everyone in the class to detest him. That day came sooner than he expected. After four weeks of Kido classes, the students finally started learning Hado spells. The instructor had each student memorize the chant of one particular spell, Hado 31 _Shakkaho_, for it was going to be the spell they would practice in their first session on the live target range. For the first time, Ichigo faced something that he found difficult, as _Shakkaho's _incantation was quite long, and the ancient Kanji and Katakana the incantation was written was sometimes hard to understand.

By the morning of the test, Ichigo still hadn't properly memorized the spell. As the class gathered at the target range, Ichigo found himself sitting in the third or fourth row from the back. He watched as the first few rows of students took their turns casting _Shakkaho_ at the circular targets some fifty yards away, with varying levels of success. Some students couldn't even finish the incantation, others finished their incantations but the resulting spell fizzled in their hands. A few gifted students were able to fire their spells at the targets but only one or two actually managed to it. Soon it was time for Ichigo's row to take a shot at the targets. _Alright, I think I've got the chant memorized in my head_, Ichigo thought. On the instructor's command Ichigo pointed his right palm forward and placed his left hand over his right wrist. Ichigo began the chant.

"Ye Lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south!" chanted Ichigo. "Hado 31, _Shakkaho_!" The resulting spell took Ichigo completely by surprise. A huge ball of red energy came shooting out of his hand. The ball hit the target squarely in the centre but instead of just scorching it a bit, the ball actually tore through the entire target. All of the students watched in astonishment as Ichigo's _Shakkaho_ smashed a foot wide hole through the wall behind the target and continued to shoot forward into the distance before dissipating. _Oh my god_, Ichigo thought. He had cast his spell with perfect precision but it was far more powerful than he ever imagined. He was painfully aware of the shocked looks the rest of his classmates were giving him.

When the test finally ended Ichigo was forced to stay behind by the instructor.

"Kurosaki-san, we need to talk about your demonstration today," said the instructor. Ichigo nodded silently. He knew he was in for some kind of reprimand.

"I have no problems in your execution of the spell. As far as I know, I have never seen a freshman fire _Shakkaho_ with that level of accuracy and power. However, therein lies the problem-the spell was _too powerful_. It seems as if you're packing all of your spirit energy into it. Either that or your spirit energy is so great that you can't control it."

"It is probably the latter, sensei," said Ichigo. The instructor raised an eyebrow.

"Is that so? Well, we must do something about controlling that spirit energy then. You must learn how to moderate the power of your spells, for if that _Shakkaho_ had hit someone, it would have caused them serious injuries."

"I understand sensei. But I've never had fine control over my spirit energy."

"Perhaps I can do something about this," said the instructor. She frowned as she pondered what to do. "Tell you what, I am going to refer you to the Kido Co-ordinator. She'll definitely be able to sort out your problem."

* * *

Ichigo wondered whether thi Kido Co-ordinator would help him solve a problem he had never been able to fix even when he was a Substitute Shinigami. His current reiatsu level, whilst nowhere near the amount he had in the past, was still great enough that he saw no real need to minimize his energy output.

Ichigo's pessimism was instantly erased when realized who the Kido Co-ordinator was.

"Yoruichi-san!" he exclaimed. Sure enough, his other former mentor sat back on a recliner chair in the office he entered. She was wearing a familiar looking orange jacket and vest.

"Hey there Ichigo! I was wondering when I'd get to meet you face to face again," said Yoruichi with a smile. "I really like the way you've died your hair. It makes you look much sexier." Ichigo's face turned a bright red at Yoruichi's words. Yoruichi saw his face and chuckled.

"You're still a prude I see. But I digress. I know you haven't just come by for a chat."

"You're right Yoruichi-san," said Ichigo. "I was sent to see you by my Kido instructor. She said I needed to control my spirit energy output as my Kido spells were too powerful."

"I see. That is quite a difficult problem," pondered Yoruichi. "You couldn't control your reiatsu when you were a Substitute Shinigami either. I remember that your Zanpakuto was in a constant release state because you couldn't seal it."

"Do you have any ideas Yoruichi-san? Even though my spirit energy is much smaller than when I was a Substitute Shinigami, I still don't have precise control over it."

"I might just have the solution. Hold on one minute." Ichigo watched as Yoruichi ducked in a storage room nearby. She came out of the room holding a seal that Ichigo recognised; it was the crest of the House of Shihouin. When Yoruichi showed it to him, Ichigo realized it was a stamp.

"Show me your wrists Ichigo," said Yoruichi. Ichigo bared both his arms. Yoruichi promptly stamped the symbol on his right wrist. A second later Ichigo felt something happening to his body; it was as if all his strength had been suddenly sucked away from him.

"What did you do to me Yoruichi-san?" asked Ichigo in a confused state.

"I just placed a Gentei Reiin, or soul limiter seal, on your wrist," replied Yoruichi. "It's the same seal all captains and lieutenants get placed upon them when they enter the real world for regular patrol missions. The seal will restrict up to 80% of your total spiritual power."

"Do you mean I only have a fifth of my total power at the moment?"

"That's right. It's quite a strange feeling isn't it? From now on I want you to get used to operating at this level of spiritual power. It will make it much easier to vary the power of your Kido spells. Once you can get a hang of how to control your reiatsu at 20% capacity, you can try to practising Kido spells at full power again. By that point you should be able to recognise and control the different levels of your reiatsu output."

"Um, I got all of that Yoruichi-san but once I master my reiatsu control at 20%, how am I supposed to remove the seal?" asked Ichigo.

"I was just about to tell you Ichigo," said Yoruichi with a grin. She placed her arms in a cross-shaped formation. "Hold out your arms in front of you like this and shout 'Gentei Kaijo!' That will temporarily lift the seal. To place back the seal, do the same pose and shout 'Gentei Reiin!" Ichigo tried to do the pose, but he immediately realized something fishy about it.

"Err, Yoruichi-san, is this pose something that Urahara-san made up?"

"Bwa, ha, ha, how did you guess? Yup, Kisuke gave me the idea for the chant," laughed Yoruichi. _I knew it!_ Ichigo thought. He left her office, still dubious as to the effectiveness of this seal. When he returned to his dormitory, he started practising the most basic Kido spells. He found that he could barely get any power out of the spells at all. _Looks like Yoruichi-san was right, _Ichigo thought. _This does severely restrict my reiatsu capacity_.

For the next few classes after that Ichigo struggled to master the new spells that were being taught, as he couldn't channel enough of his restricted spirit energy to cast them. Eventually however, found a way around this limitation by squeezing every single last drop of his spirit energy into the spell. Though this allowed him to cast spells at their full potential, it resulted in Ichigo being completely spent afterwards.

Over the following weeks, Ichigo adjusted the amount of spirit energy he needed to put into a chant in order to cast spells successfully, and discovered the absolute minimum level he could suppress his reiatsu. Once he pinned down both these aspects, Ichigo decided it was time to test his abilities at full power. During one of the weekend days, Ichigo went to the Academy's sports oval and found a spot hidden in the trees. _Alright, here goes nothing_, Ichigo thought as he prepared to remove the limiter. He crossed his arms in front of him.

"Gentei Kaijo!" he shouted. The seal on his right wrist glowed for a brief second before Ichigo felt a rush of energy filling up his body._ Yes, this is the sensation_. Having experienced what his 20% reiatsu level was like, Ichigo tried to consciously lower his spirit energy to that level. It took considerable effort but he managed to do so in the end. _Now for the hard part_, Ichigo thought. He raised himself back to full power and decided to cast a _Shakkaho_ to see if he could control its power. He targeted a tree at the opposite end of the oval. After chanting the spell, Ichigo fired it from his hands. He was pleased to see that the resulting red ball of energy was much smaller and when it hit the tree it dissipated and didn't explode on contact.

Ichigo looked at his hands again. _I think I've finally managed to control my spirit energy_, he thought.

* * *

Notes: This is the first of two chapters that cover Ichigo's basic training at the Academy. I apologize if the style is inconsistent with previous chapters as I wanted to pack a lot of exposition in a short amount of time.

As an intersting tidbit, the limiter seal Yoruichi gave Ichigo works the same as the ones Hitsugaya's advance team had in the Arrancar arc, except this one is not only permanent but Ichigo can manually control the limit release at will.


	11. Chapter 11: Lesson 2Fight Club

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 11 Lesson 2: Fight Club

The massive White Way gate opened, allowing a group of people dressed in white shirts and blue and red hakamas to cross from Seireitei to Rukongai. Among this group of people was a man with shoulder length black hair.

Ichigo, in his guise as Kurosaki Kaien, wandered through the Junrinan district. After he aced the end of term Kido exam, he and the rest of the elite freshmen class were dismissed for a week-long holiday, where they were allowed to visit their families either in Seireitei or Rukongai. Those whose families were in Rukongai were allowed to pass through the outer gates freely. Ichigo was eager to see his sisters again. He had made a promise to them that he would return regularly but due to the hectic study schedule he was unable to leave the Academy at all, let alone exit Seireitei.

He arrived back at Kukaku's house and knocked on the door. A few seconds later the door opened and Ichigo was greeted by Yuzu. She was dressed up in a black maid outfit, complete with a headdress and gloves, and holding a broom in her hands.

"Hey there Yuzu," smiled Ichigo. Yuzu stared at him a few seconds, as she couldn't recognise his appearance. But when she realized who it was she dropped the broom and hugged her brother tightly.

"Onii-chan I've missed you!" she cried. "We've been waiting for you to come back!"

"I'm sorry I couldn't come visit you earlier, Yuzu-chan," said Ichigo.

"Oh, I better call Karin and Kukaku oba-san to let them know you're here." Yuzu ran into one of the other rooms of the house. She came back a few minutes later with Karin running behind her. Ichigo was amused to see Karin wearing the same maid outfit as Yuzu wore.

"Uh, is that Ichi-nii?" Karin asked Yuzu. "He looks so different." Yuzu nodded her head, prompting Karin to inspect Ichigo up close. When she sensed his reiatsu all doubt in her heart disappeared.

"What took you so long to come back Ichi-nii? And what happened to your hair?" asked Karin.

"I'm sorry Karin-chan. I was too busy with study. And I dyed my hair so that no one will recognise me," replied Ichigo. Just then Kukaku came into the front living room carrying a mug of coffee. When she saw Ichigo, she completely froze in shock, causing the mug to smash onto the floor.

"K-Kaien?" asked Kukaku. She approached Ichigo in an awkward manner, half shuffling forward and half tip-toeing. She placed her hands on Ichigo's shoulders. When she touched Ichigo's hair she was suddenly brought to her senses.

"Er, Kukaku-san?" asked Ichigo. Kukaku shook her head and sighed deeply.

"What was I thinking? I thought you were my dead brother Ichigo. Your face now looks so like him that I couldn't tell the two of you apart," said Kukaku. "Geez, what an idiot I am, to still long for the figure of my brother to come back to me."

"Heh, I don't think you're an idiot for thinking that way Kukaku-san," smiled Ichigo. "When I was enrolling in the Academy, I consciously modelled my alias after your brother, though I don't really know why I did so. My fellow students also call me 'Kaien'."

"Is that so? Well, I then, I guess my imagination wasn't so far off after all. You do resemble Kaien Nii-san a lot, not just in appearance, but also in your personality, your mannerisms, and most important of all, your heart." Ichigo's face turned a bright red when he saw Kukaku putting her good hand on his chest.

"Um, thanks for the complement Kukaku-san."

Ichigo stayed in Kukaku's house for four days and got to spend quality time with his sisters. He found out that both Karin and Yuzu had found employment as house cleaners for the most influential Junrinan locals, and were now being paid a considerable amount of money. He was proud at how resourceful the two of them were. Ichigo promised that he would visit them again at the end of the second term.

* * *

The second term of the Academy began a day after Ichigo returned to the Seireitei. With the completion of the Kido curriculum, the two main subjects that were going to be taught throughout the second term were Hohou and Zanjutsu.

Ichigo found the Hohou classes extremely boring. For the most part the early Hohou classes were about improving the natural speed and endurance of the Academy students so that they could ran fast and for a long duration without using Shunpo. In reality, this meant constant athletic exercises that were identical to the ones Ichigo had done countless times when he was a junior and middle high student in the real world. Each Hohou class almost always started off with a 100 metre sprint, followed by several laps around the Academy oval, various long jump and high jump exercises, and the occasional obstacle course.

Ichigo was surprised to see that many of his fellow 'elite' freshmen weren't fitter than an average living human, for a lot of them couldn't even run successive laps around the oval without getting tired. Still worried about how his classmates would react if he upstaged them again, Ichigo refrained from exploiting his already considerable knowledge of Shunpo, which he had retained from his days as a Substitute Shinigami. Instead, Ichigo only used his natural physical speed, but even that proved to be faster than nearly all of his classmates. He could easily run the 100 metres in less than four seconds flat and could run six or seven laps around the oval without breaking a sweat. And Ichigo found he could jump ten or more metres into the air and cover the same distance across the ground with ease.

Because of his overwhelming physical superiority, Ichigo ended up receiving even further taunts from the freshmen who belonged to the noble families. They were envious of his athletic prowess. And after seeing his incredible feats during the Kido classes, these freshmen knew their only chance of surpassing Ichigo was in the Zanjutsu classes.

It was no surprise to Ichigo that Zanjutsu was the most popular of all the discipline classes at the Academy. Not everyone could run very fast or could cast a good Kido spell, but even a layman could swing a sword around and kill another person with it. There was no shortage of students in the elite freshmen class claiming they were the best swordsman. Whether their claims could be supported was something that could only be decided through one on one combat.

The Zanjutsu instructor was an ex 11th Division officer who had retired from active service. His face and body bore the scars of multiple battles. As the elite freshmen entered the Zanjutsu training hall, he gave all of them identical bokuto, or wooden swords.

"Alright you maggots, listen carefully! I'm going to teach you the basics of Zanjutsu!" shouted the instructor. "Don't think that Zanjutsu is simply about being able to swing around a sword. It requires finesse, technique, and above all, discipline! Watch my moves carefully and repeat them after me!"

The Zanjutsu instructor proceeded to demonstrate a series of stances, and preparation moves that Ichigo was instinctively familiar with. He had studied them before when he did Kendo classes as a child with Tatsuki, and during his time as a Substitute Shinigami he had employed many of these techniques. So Ichigo found it easy to copy the instructor's moves. So easy in fact, he could afford to observe how the other students were doing. He was amused to see that the 'noble' students struggled to even hold their bokutos properly. For the first two weeks of classes, no students were given the chance to fight each other. Instead the instructor made them do sword drills upon practice dummies. The Zanjutsu instructor was most impressed by Ichigo's performance, for he was the only student in the entire class that managed to hit every single practice dummy in the right place.

Ichigo wished he wasn't so instinctively good at what he was doing, for the envy of those students from noble families had risen to the boiling point. On the morning of the first class of actual fighting, Ichigo was approached by the 'ringleader' of these noble students, a fat ugly looking guy whose surname was Omaeda.

"Listen up punk, we nobles aren't going to tolerate your genius skills any longer," said the guy called Omaeda. "You think you're so much better than us? Well today we're going to prove to you that you're nothing but a second-rate Rukongai scum!"

Ichigo didn't bother responding. He knew better than to argue with a guy as stuck up as Omaeda. He would save his reply for the actual fighting itself. The Zanjutsu instructor paired off each of the students and instructed them to fight each other in a series of duels. Those who lost would have to do further training with the instructor whilst those who won could continue fighting until only one student was left standing.

The resulting matches roughly went according to the skill levels of the students. Those who weren't good at Zanjutsu quickly lost and were forced to stand beside the instructor. After three rounds only the most skilled students in Zanjutsu were left. Ichigo naturally found himself in this group but he was surprised to see the guy called Omaeda had made it this far as well. Ichigo was further surprised when he was drawn to fight Omaeda.

"You're going down Rukongai punk," said Omaeda. The two students faced each other. When the signal was given to begin, Omaeda started attacking aggressively. Ichigo on the other hand adopted a defensive stance, calmly blocking each attack whilst keeping up a guard that was so solid none of Omaeda's hits could get through. After a while the other guy got tired of Ichigo being all defensive. He swung his bokuto high above his head and with both hands brought it down on Ichigo.

"Why don't you fight back you coward? Are you afraid of me?" asked Omaeda.

"Afraid? You really think I'm afraid of you?" retorted Ichigo. "If you really want me to fight back then I shall." With a single diagonal stroke Ichigo struck Omaeda's bokuto with such force that it ended up flying out of his hands. With Omaeda defenceless and temporarily off guard, Ichigo swung again, with a horizontal stroke that knocked his opponent out of the fighting ring.

As Omaeda hit the ground hard, his gang of nobles watched on with utter shock. They couldn't believe that a scion of such an elite house such as Omaeda could be so easily defeated by a scoundrel from the worst districts of Rukongai. Their disbelief continued when Ichigo emerged as the last surviving student, after defeating several other members of Omaeda's gang. And in a further insult to their pride, Ichigo hadn't been fighting serious at all; not once did he think about taking his limiter off.

When the Zanjutsu class ended, Omaeda and his posse rushed to confront Ichigo before he headed home. They cornered him in one of the Academy main building's passageways.

"What do you guys want?" asked Ichigo.

"I'm challenging you to a rematch," declared Omaeda. "Tomorrow night, in the storage area of the Zanjutsu hall. This time we're going to fight with real swords. No cheap wooden swords and no ring outs to hold us back. Whoever draws first blood wins. You got that pal? If you don't show up we'll mount a hate and scare campaign against you the likes you've never seen!"

Ichigo wasn't in the mind for breaking Academy rules, but he didn't like the prospect of being ridiculed in public.

"Fine, I'll fight you tomorrow night. Just tell me when to show up."

* * *

Ichigo turned up at the rear end of the Zanjutsu hall at eight o'clock sharp on the following night, per Omaeda's instructions. As a precaution, he carried along his personal katana. He found the entrance to the storage area open. He tiptoed through the door and found himself confronted by a crowd of nearly twenty people, all of them Omaeda's followers. Each of them was carrying an Asauchi, probably stolen from the storage closets. When Ichigo saw Omaeda however, he was taken aback. The guy was not carrying an Asauchi or even a sword at all. Instead he was wielding what appeared to be a giant morning star. The weapon was so big that Omaeda was holding it with both hands, and the spiked iron ball was nearly two feet across.

"Hey, I thought this was a _sword _fight," Ichigo tried to protest. "What kind of weapon are you carrying?"

"Heh, heh, I said we were going to fight with real swords, but I never said we were going to fight fair," grinned Omaeda evilly. "This is a replica of my uncle's Zanpakuto, the mighty _Gegetsuburi!_ I, Omaeda Nikkotaroemon Marejisaburo Marenoshin, will use it to crush you like a bug!"

Ichigo gave a silent groan. He was growing sick and tired of Omaeda's pompous attitude, and his ridiculously long name. The mention of the Zanpakuto name made Ichigo think back to the moments just after he rescued Rukia from being executed by the Sokyoku. In buying time for Renji to get Rukia to safety, he had fought three lieutenants with his bare hands. One of those lieutenants resembled this Omaeda fellow and he was carrying a similar looking Zanpakuto. _This guy must be the nephew of that lieutenant I barehanded_, Ichigo thought. _I knew I saw his face somewhere before_.

Knowing that he couldn't possibly lose this fight, Ichigo calmly unsheathed his sword and got into a defensive stance.

"Alright then, do your worst," said Ichigo. He calmly waited as Omaeda stepped into the circle made by his friends. Omaeda gave a yell before he raised the morning star above his head and swung it down at Ichigo. Ichigo calmly sidestepped the attack and watched the iron ball slam into the ground. At this point Ichigo could have ended the fight in one stroke, but he chose to watch as Omaeda reeled in the iron ball and swung it above his head again. As the iron ball missed again, Ichigo noticed it hardly made a dent on the ground. He thought it strange that such a large ball would make no noticeable mark. _Aha, I get it now_, Ichigo thought. _The weapon he's carrying doesn't have any reiatsu in it all. _

"What are you smiling so smugly for, you Rukongai scum!" shouted Omaeda. He swung the iron ball at Ichigo again. This time Ichigo didn't bother to dodge. Instead he caught the iron ball with his left hand. As he expected, there was no reiatsu in the weapon at all. In fact, the ball wasn't actually made of genuine iron, and the spikes weren't sharp either. The crowd around him gasped in disbelief.

"No way! How the fuck could you block my attack?" asked Omaeda. His hands were now shaking.

"It's simple really. That weapon you're carrying is a fake," said Ichigo. "It's got no spiritual pressure inside it. It's not even a real morning star. It might as well be made of plastic. So you shouldn't be surprised that it didn't even hurt me." With a single swing of his sword Ichigo slashed through the 'iron' ball like a hot knife through butter. The ball ended up in two pieces on the floor. As an unexpected side effect, the force of Ichigo's attack actually wounded Omaeda, as the guy suddenly clutched his right hand in pain.

"Gargh! My hand! That bastard cut my hand!" screamed Omaeda. "Get him all of you! Make him suffer ten times what I suffered!" Ichigo braced himself as the mob surrounding him brandished their swords and charged at him. Ichigo did not want to injure his classmates, however mean spirited they were, but he did not want to get beaten up either. He tried to block all of their attacks the best he could whilst slowly heading towards the door. Just before he was about to reach the door he suddenly tripped over, and the mob seized their chance to beat him up. The Asauchis they were carrying weren't sharp enough to cut him, but Ichigo nevertheless got pelted everywhere on his body. The beating only stopped when a loud voice came from the door.

"What are you hooligans doing?" asked the voice of the Zanjutsu instructor. "How dare you trespass in here in the middle of the night?"

"Oh shit it's the instructor! Run!" shouted a number of people. They all made a break for it but the instructor proceeded to knock them all out with his bare fists. When he finished dealing with Omaeda and his cronies he finally stood in front of a battered but still conscious Ichigo.

"Are you the one responsible for this fight?" asked the instructor.

"No, sensei, I didn't start it," replied Ichigo as he stood up. "Omaeda forced me to fight him here, and he threatened to spread hate messages and taunts about me throughout the Academy if I refused."

"I see." The instructor went over to the unconscious Omaeda. "This brat has been a serial troublemaker. He's had to repeat the first year three times already because of repeated indiscretions. Still, that doesn't justify what you did here tonight."

"I was only acting in self defence sir. I never intended to harm him."

"I know your intentions were good but you must remember that he and most of the students here are the sons of noble families, some of whom are influential members of the Gotei 13. If they find out that you've injured their children, these noble families will undoubtedly pressure the Academy to expel you."

"It was never my intention to provoke them in the first place. I guess they were just jealous about how good I was," explained Ichigo.

"Of course," said the instructor with a smile. "I could tell from the moment I first saw you that you're not just a run of the mill Academy student. Your skill and discipline is as good as some of my former 11th division colleagues, and the way you practiced those Zanjutsu techniques surpasses even the sixth year students I've taught. It's no wonder that your fellow freshman are no match for you." As Ichigo listened, he knew that the instructor had seen through part of his disguise. No matter how much he lowered his spirit power, Ichigo could not hide his instincts or experience.

"What should I do sensei? If I continue doing the classes I'll just make Omaeda and his friends look bad and they'll want to come after me even more."

"I understand. I too think it would be a waste of your time for you to continue doing the regular Zanjutsu lessons. Your skill level is already on par with a regular Shinigami of the Gotei 13. Which is why I am going to recommend you to someone who will teach you how a _real_ Shinigami fights."

* * *

The following day, word spread around the elite freshmen class that the tensai Kurosaki Kaien had been excused for all subsequent Zanjutsu lessons. Omaeda and his cronies, having only received strong verbal reprimands from the Zanjutsu co-ordinator, rejoiced at the news. They thought they had achieved a victory against the punk from Rukongai by causing him to be barred from all classes.

The actual truth was quite different. Ichigo had indeed been excused from the Zanjutsu lessons, but it was not due to any disciplinary reasons. Instead he had been excused from all lessons because he was simply _too_ good. The person the Zanjutsu instructor had recommended him to was none other than the headmaster himself, Urahara Kisuke. When Ichigo arrived in the headmaster's office with the Zanjutsu instructor's recommendations, Urahara was overjoyed. He relished the chance to spar with Ichigo again, and to put him through the same torturous hell Ichigo had gone through nearly six years ago.

Leaving the administrative duties to his subject co-ordinators, Urahara led Ichigo out of the Academy grounds and all the way to the base of the Sokyoku Hill. The two of them climbed up the steps of the hill until they reached a cliff face that Ichigo recognised.

"Um, Urahara-san, isn't this the place where Yoruichi-san helped me train for Bankai?' asked Ichigo.

"You've got a good memory Kurosaki-san!" exclaimed Urahara in a laugh. "Yep, this is the same place. We're going to have our private lessons here." Ichigo followed Urahara down a long ladder that provided the entrance into an immense underground cavern. The cavern, carved out of the rock of the Sokyoku, was a secret training area Urahara had made in his younger days. He had trained with Yoruichi when the two of them first joined the Gotei 13. The training room was also the place Ichigo had achieved Bankai in order to fight against Rukia's brother, Kuchiki Byakuya.

"I hope you find this place suitable," said Urahara.

"Yeah, this place is awesome as a training spot," said Ichigo.

"Now, you may be wondering what I'm going to teach you. I heard from Aizawa-san's recommendations that you've already attained a Zanjutsu level on par with a Shinigami recruit, so that is the level we're going to start from. From now until the end of this year I'm going to make you strong enough to fight at the level of a Shinigami officer."

"Till the end of this year?" Ichigo was confused. "But doesn't the Academy course run for five or six years?"

"Yes that's what the teachers told you. But I've heard from Yoruichi-san about your Kido results. Frankly, even some Shinigami officers aren't as good as Kido as you are. Take your old friend Lieutenant Abarai for instance. And the fact that you managed to keep up with me shows your Shunpo skills haven't declined at all since your time as a Substitute Shinigami."

"So what are you getting at Urahara-san?"

"Well, if you were to sit the Gotei 13 recruitment exam, you'd probably pass. The only substantial knowledge you lack are the techniques Shinigami use to move to and from the world of the living, how to use the Danreishinki and Jigokucho to communicate with other Shinigami and track down hollows, and most importantly of all, your shikai release. The former two you can easily learn in the two month long field trip to Karakura Town in the third term, but the final aspect is something that normally takes years to learn, sometimes even after you graduate. I'm going to accelerate that process. Not only will be able to sharpen your Zanjutsu skills but you'll be able to strengthen your reiatsu to the point where that blade you possess in your hands will start speaking to you."

Ichigo understood everything that Urahara had said. He had already grasped all four of the major Shinigami combat disciplines and had regained a substantial portion of his former spirit power. Now all that remained in order for him to become a Shinigami again was to unlock his Zanpakuto release.

From that day onward and for the following weeks until the end of the term, Ichigo trained with Urahara for one day every week. They didn't train using bokuto, nor was Ichigo was forced to train using only a fifth of his full power. Instead both of them fought using their real swords and Ichigo was allowed to use all of his strength. He had to do so simply to avoid being beaten to a pulp, for Urahara didn't hold back at all during these training sessions. For the first four weeks the headmaster only used his sealed cane sword, and had Ichigo hone his raw Zanjutsu skills until they were master class.

For the subsequent weeks Urahara increased the difficulty even further. He not only released his Zanpakuto _Benihime_ but by the eighth week he started using his Shikai's abilities on Ichigo. Ichigo could barely do anything except block Urahara's attacks, such was their speed and ferocity. Ichigo found his spirit energy and reiatsu level steadily increasing, but he seemed no closer to awakening his Zanpakuto. By the final week of the second term, Urahara was impressed that Ichigo managed to withstand the full force of his Zanpakuto and counter attack using not only his sword but also Kido as well.

"Very impressive Kurosaki-san!" exclaimed Urahara as he sealed his Zanpakuto. "You've become a magnificent fighter. I'm surprised that I had to use my best Shikai abilities just to pressure you. But the thing I'm most impressed about is that you don't have a shred of fear in your blade at all, unlike the first time I trained you."

"But, I haven't awakened my Zanpakuto yet," protested Ichigo. Urahara smiled.

"I never said you would unlock your Zanpakuto during this training. But I've already given you all the steps you need to achieve it on your own. Maybe the reason why your Zanpakuto hasn't awakened is because you haven't faced a situation where your life is in danger. If you were to find yourself in a fight to the death I have no doubt your Zanpakuto will speak to you." Upon hearing Urahara's words, Ichigo remembered his fight in Uraya-cho and his fight with Dialgos. Perhaps his Zanpakuto spirit had been helping him all along, and now he was strong enough to speak to it face to face.

"Thank you Urahara-san. I can do the rest by myself from now on."

* * *

Notes: Yep, as the title indicates, this chapter is sort of a homage to Fight club and other underground fighting movies. I thought it would be a great demonstration of just how much better Ichigo is than the rest of his peers by having him own Omaeda again. XD

The chapter contains other homages to. The scene with Kukaku at the start is a homage to the 'heart' talk that Kaien gave Rukia. And Urahara's training with Ichigo is exactly the same as it was in the early volumes of Bleach, except I changed Urahara's words to Ichigo to give a sense of how far Ichigo has come since then.


	12. Chapter 12: Lesson 3Ghost Hunting

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 12 Lesson 3: Ghost Hunting

With the end of the second term, Ichigo visited his sisters and Kukaku and Ganju once again. The break this time was nearly three weeks, for it coincided with the Christmas holidays. Ichigo and Kukaku both thought it was a good opportunity to take Yuzu and Karin on a trip through the more pleasant districts of Rukongai. Ichigo didn't want them to travel too far from the walls of Seireitei, so Kukaku planned a journey that stayed in the confines of Junrinan. The most notable places they visited included the haunt of Ganju's Rukongai gang, and Kukaku's former house, where Karin and Yuzu marvelled at the giant Kido Cannon that had shot Ichigo and his nakama into the sky during their mission to rescue Rukia. Along the way, they met a few people Ichigo had seen before, such as three of Ganju's most prominent followers, along with Kukaku's two assistants, Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko. Karin and Yuzu struck instant friendships with all of the people they met.

"Did you enjoy the trip?" Ichigo asked Yuzu and Karin when they finally returned home after five days on the road. They both nodded excitedly.

"I hope we can visit Ganju-san's nakama and Kukaku Oba-san's helpers again," said Karin. "They were really friendly to us."

"Well, perhaps next time the two of you can visit them by yourselves," said Kukaku with a smile. For the remaining days of the break, Ichigo and his sisters celebrated the Christmas festival period. Kukaku bought Yuzu and Karin a pair of lavishly decorated kimonos to wear. For Ichigo Kukaku gave him her former brother Kaien's yukata, along with a splendid golden haori that Kaien had worn as the head of the Shiba family.

As the snow started to fall in Junrinan, Ichigo, Kukaku and the sisters headed to a nearby hill overlooking Junrinan town to watch the Christmas fireworks. They picked a spot under a large Sakura tree. Karin and Yuzu played with the firecrackers they had bought whilst Ichigo and Kukaku admired the view.

"I didn't know Christmas was celebrated over here," said Ichigo.

"The denizens of Seireitei don't seem to follow it that much, but to the folk of Junrinan in particular it's a cherished holiday," said Kukaku. "Remember Ichigo, everyone here came from the real world. We still honour the traditions we used to observe when we were alive." As Ichigo and Kukaku talked, they did not realize that another person had joined them beside the sakura tree until Karin and Yuzu pointed it out.

"Oh my god, it's Rukia-chan!" exclaimed Karin. Ichigo turned to look, and gasped in surprise. Standing just beside him was Rukia, dressed in the most beautiful kimono he had ever seen, and with her hair done up in the most gorgeous manner.

"Rukia...I never expected to see you here," said Ichigo. "You look...beautiful."

"Thanks for the compliment Ichigo," smiled Rukia. "I went to visit you at Kukaku's house, but when I saw you weren't there I figured you might have come to this place."

"What brings you here from Seireitei Rukia? Are you on service leave too?"

"Actually no, all Shinigami seemingly have this day off. Believe it or not, Christmas _is _celebrated amongst the Gotei 13." Rukia stared at Ichigo closely. "You know, when I was walking up to the hill and saw you, I initially thought you were Kaien-dono. You really look like him now that you've dyed your hair black."

"Ha, ha, Kukaku-san said the same thing when she first saw me like that." For a while Ichigo and Rukia simply stared at the fireworks.

"How's it going at the Academy? I heard from Ukitake-san that your elite freshmen class is going on a field trip to Karakura Town next term," said Rukia.

"Yeah, we're going to practice performing Konso on plus souls and killing dummy hollows," said Ichigo. "I don't think the assignment will be that difficult for me."

"Is that so?" asked Rukia in a slight smirk. "Well then, I wish you good luck."

* * *

The preparations for the field trip to Karakura Town resembled a large scale military exercise. There was an astonishing number of men and material involved in equipping the one hundred or elite freshmen for their two month long mission to the real world. Each student was given a set of items that were absolutely necessary for the trip. The first item was a standard Asauchi taken from the Zanjutsu storage rooms. The second item was a portable and inflatable gigai ordered from the R&D, with each gigai being tailor made to match the appearance of the freshman student. The third item was a gikongan or 'soul candy'. The final item was a stripped down version of the Danreishinki phones used by the Gotei 13, which would enable the freshman to be contacted by the teachers.

Due to his special circumstances, Ichigo received a slightly different set of equipment from everyone else. He was allowed to carry his own personal katana for the trip, as the teachers all thought it was a suitable Asauchi. His gigai and gikongan were personally given by Urahara himself. Apparently both were custom made versions that contained features that the standard gigais and gikongans didn't have. Finally, Ichigo was given the _standard_ Danreishinki, which allowed Ichigo to track the signatures of all friendly and hostile spirits in his vicinity. Apparently Urahara had designated Ichigo as the freshmen representative, whose task was to assist the two sixth year students leading the mission.

Once every student had received their items and packed their bags with enough clothing, they all assembled in front of the Academy's Seireimon. As they arrived near the Seireimon, each student was handed the equivalent of five thousand Japanese yen by the teachers present, which was to be used as spending money during their stay in the real world.

"Alright first years, find your partner and form two lines in front of us," said one of the sixth year students, a burly looking man with brown hair. His partner was a brunette haired woman. The freshmen noted the numbers they had been given earlier and tried to find another person with a matching number. Ichigo somehow found himself pared with Taneko.

"Hey, I'm with you Kaien-san," said Taneko. "Isn't that great?"

"Yeah, I guess so," said Ichigo. After everyone had found their partners and lined up, the sixth year brunette girl addressed them.

"Listen up guys, once we arrive at the real world, I want you all to follow us to the designated living quarters. The numbers you have been given indicate the rooms you've been assigned to," she said. The freshmen nodded, indicating they understood her instructions.

With the preliminary matters all done, the two sixth year students proceeded to open the Seireimon gate. With the gate opened, the 100 freshmen followed the sixth year students through the portal. Some of the freshmen panicked when they realized they had entered the Dangai.

"Don't be afraid! The passage through the Dangai is completely safe!" exclaimed the sixth year girl. "Just follow us and don't go near the walls!" The freshmen did as they were told and eventually they made it to the other side.

As they entered the real world, many of the freshmen, mostly those from noble families, gasped. They had never been to the real world before and so all of them were astonished by the sight of Karakura Town. Ichigo however felt a sense of happiness in his heart at seeing his home town again. He looked around and saw that they were in the middle of downtown Karakura. The sixth year students led the freshmen to a large five storey complex that Ichigo recognised as the Karakura Apartments. _So Urahara somehow managed to buy or rent this entire set of apartments and set it aside just for the freshmen,_ Ichigo thought. He was quite impressed at the set up. "Alright, we'll shortly allow you to head in and find the rooms you've been assigned to," said the male sixth year. "Once you've found your rooms, I want you to all enter your gigais and report downstairs for further instructions." With that the freshmen were allowed to enter apartment complex. Ichigo and Taneko walked up three flights up stairs before they found their room.

"Looks like this is the one," said Ichigo, staring at the number '315', He found a set of keys inserted into the door lock. Ichigo used the keys to unlock the door. When Ichigo and Taneko entered, the found a quite spacious apartment. There were two separate bedrooms, a living area, a bathroom and a kitchen. The most noticeable feature though was a large balcony that gave impressive views of the Karakura skyline.

"Wow this place is huge! I've never seen a room this big before," said Taneko.

"Really? I thought you came from the real world," said Ichigo. Taneko shook his head.

"I was born in Chisio-oni, as both my parents had enough spiritual pressure to give conceive a child."

"Ah, I understand." After surveying the apartment, Ichigo and Taneko got out their portable gigais and blew them up to full proportion. They were amazed their gigais' astonishing likeness, but also at the fact that the gigais were wearing human clothing.

"Whoa, this gigai looks just like me!" exclaimed Taneko. Ichigo's gigai also looked like him, except its hair was blade rather than his natural orange colour. _Let's see if this gigai really is special_, Ichigo thought. He placed his hands on the gigai's heart and willed himself inside it. He opened the eyes of his gigai and inspected his body. He soon realized there was indeed something different about the one he had been given. Whilst most gigais were nothing more than empty shells that allowed Shinigami to move about as a human and still user their powers, Ichigo's gigai contained all of the human organs, and it completely masked his reiatsu. Essentially, Ichigo was now back in a human body.

"Kaien-san, I'm having trouble entering my gigai," said Taneko. Ichigo laughed when he saw Taneko's soul stuck half way into his gigai. He helped his friend into the gigai, before the two of them headed downstairs. As all of the freshmen assembled in front of the sixth years in their gigais, with some of the students admiring the clothes they were wearing. The two sixth years, also wearing gigais, ordered the freshmen to listen.

"Alright, now I want you all to get out your gikongan and eat them. This will allow you to exit your gigais," said the male sixth year. The freshmen took out their gikongans, which came packaged in a 'soul candy' dispenser. When Ichigo looked at his dispenser for the first time, he noticed the head of the dispenser looked like a teddy bear with a mane. _Shit, don't tell me..._Ichigo thought. He hoped for the best as he gulped down the gikongan. A second later Ichigo was back in his spirit body. He examined his gigai again. When the gigai spoke Ichigo's worst fears were realized.

"What the hell? I'm back in Ichigo's body again?" asked the high pitched voice that Ichigo recognised as Kon, the renegade mod soul who had for years inhabited a plush teddy bear doll in his room.

"Kon, is that you?" asked Ichigo. The mod soul looked at Ichigo.

"Of course it is me," said Kon. "And how come your hair is black now? Come to think of it, how come my hair is black?"

"I'll explain that some other time. Just shut up and listen." Ichigo and Kon stood silent and awaited the sixth years' instructions. They noticed that the other freshmen were getting similar reactions when they interacted with their gikongan.

"Alright listen up! You can speak with your gikongan later," said the sixth year girl. "Here is what you're going to be doing for the next two months. During the day you'll try to blend in with the humans and act like them. By night you'll be tasked with patrolling the streets of Karakura Town, performing Konsos on random plus souls. Each of you must perform Konso on at least one plus soul every night. In addition, those who are gifted by try to kill one of the wandering hollows. However, none of you should overdo. If you encounter a very dangerous hollow, immediately contact the two of us at once."

With that, the freshmen finally commenced their two month long assignment in the real world. They would work in pairs, working alongside their partner to track down wandering plus souls and performing soul burial on them. A few of the more gung-ho students tried their luck on the occasional hollow in the area, but most of them fared so badly that the sixth year students had to step in finish the hollows off.

For Ichigo, the first two or so weeks felt like a return to his days as a Substitute Shinigami. During the day time he found work at a local restaurant as a cleaner. At night he would help Taneko to perform Konso on plus souls. Ichigo found performing soul burials so easily he had time to assist Taneko and other fellow students in correcting performing soul burials on their plus souls. Furthermore, Ichigo went to the rescue of numerous other freshmen who tried to take on the hollows. He easily slew the hollows with his katana.

During their time in the apartment, Ichigo and Taneko interacted with their gikongans as much as they could. In order to speak with their gikongans when they were using their gigais, Ichigo and Taneko bought two plush dolls for the gikongan to inhabit. Ichigo bought a near identical replica to original lion plushie. Kon was overjoyed to have his 'perfect' body back again. Taneko's gikongan was less happy at being placed in a panda plush doll, but that was probably due to the soul's personality than any dissatisfaction with the doll itself.

* * *

After about three weeks of doing missions in the vicinity of downtown Karakura, the freshmen were given permission by the sixth year students to work by themselves. With Taneko being able to work by himself, and with Kon stuffed into a backpack, Ichigo felt it was time to visit his former home and school again. When he arrived at his old family house, Ichigo was saddened to see that it had been completely boarded up and abandoned. When he talked with the locals Ichigo found out that no one was willing to buy the house from the trustees of the estate, for they all believed the house was cursed due to the tragic and rather mysterious deaths of its former occupants.

"So no one except my nakama knows about the circumstances of our deaths after all," said Ichigo as he examined the place where he and his sisters had died. Not wanting to stay near his old house any longer, Ichigo went to visit his former high school. The school had not changed in appearance since Ichigo graduated from it over four years ago. However, one thing that was different was a large bill board near the school that advertised a brand new subject, called 'spiritual arts'. Apparently the events of the Arrancar War had awakened the spirit potential of many of Karakura's inhabitants, so it was not surprising to Ichigo that the students would want to learn how to control them.

With no need to linger around the school any further, Ichigo decided to visit one last place: the Karakura general cemetery. He wanted to visit the graves of himself and his sisters. He strolled through the cemetery, until he finally found the graves. They were in the place Ichigo had expected them to find-right beside the grave of his beloved mother Masaki. The sight of the tombstone with his name engraved on it was distressing enough, but it was the comments that had been made under his name and lifespan that made Ichigo's heart flutter.

"_Goodbye Kurosaki-kun, you were the person I loved the most_," said the first comment.

"_Farewell Ichigo, you will be remembered as a most loyal friend_," said the second comment.

"_Ichigo, I hope you'll have a peaceful time in heaven_," said the third and final comment. Despite the absence of any names, Ichigo knew who had made each comment.

"Inoue, Chad, Tatsuki-chan," said Ichigo. He sighed deeply. His death must have hit all three of them harder than he had imagined.

Just then Ichigo heard voices coming towards him. When he turned around and looked, he gasped in utter shock. It was Orihime, Ishida, Chad and Tatsuki. Each of them was carrying a bouquet of flowers.

_Oh shit, they're coming to visit my grave!_ Ichigo thought. He quickly ducked behind a nearby tree. Ichigo dearly wanted to see his friends again, but he was too afraid to show himself. So he resorted to watching their movements, his heart in agony for every second they were standing in front of his grave. Ichigo saw Orihime place flowers down on the grave first, followed by Chad, Tatsuki and finally Ishida. Then Ichigo heard each of them speak.

"I can't believe it's been more than half a year since Kurosaki-kun died," said Orihime.

"Time sure has flown by hasn't it," said Ishida.

"I really wonder where Ichigo is right now," said Tatsuki.

"He's probably having a peaceful time in Soul Society," said Chad. With each of their comments Ichigo's heart twisted even further.

"Guys..." he spoke silently to himself. For the first time in ages Ichigo actually cried. He was overcome by the loss that each of his nakama had felt. Ichigo watched as the four of them paid their last respects and left the cemetery. He dearly wanted to follow them but in the end he chose not to. Instead he trudged all the way back to the Karakura apartments. When he returned to his apartment, his roommate Taneko noticed something was wrong with him.

"What's the matter Kaien-san? Your face looks really sad," said Taneko.

"I...went to visit my gravestone today, and I met the friends I had when I was alive," said Ichigo. Taneko was curious.

"Oh. Did you speak to any of them?" Ichigo shook his head.

"I was...too afraid to do so. Too afraid to find out how they would react if they saw me again." Taneko understood Ichigo's words and decided not to speak to him about it any further.

Over the next week or so Ichigo resumed his duties around downtown Karakura, forgetting about the traumatic experience at the cemetery. As the days went by, Ichigo seemed confident that the field mission would end without any noticeable incidents. Tragically, the events of one Friday night proved him wrong.

* * *

It started out as a typical night on duty. With his role as freshman representative, Ichigo worked alongside one of the sixth year students, the brunette female called Haruka. During the first month of the mission, Haruka had got to know Ichigo, or 'Kaien' as he presented himself. She was impressed by his skill and experience and frequently deferred command to him whenever the other freshmen needed guidance. Tonight they were leading a substantial group of freshmen, including Omaeda and his posse, to patrol one of the most densely packed spiritual regions of Karakura, the area near the former Karakura general hospital.

"There are an awful lot of souls running around," said Haruka. Ichigo nodded.

"Is there a risk we'll be attacked by hollows?" he asked.

"Probably. If we are attacked, I want you to kill them right away. Omaeda and his gang are aren't skilled enough to handle them."

"I know." Ichigo and Haruka ordered the group to spread out and cover as many plus souls as possible. For about two hours or so there seemed to be no problems. Then a girl's scream pierced the air.

"What was that?" asked both Haruka and Ichigo. The two of them quickly tracked down the source of the scream and found themselves confronted with the gruesome sight of a poor female student, her kosode completely stained with blood. Haruka inspected the student and shook her head when she realized she was already dead. But what concerned her was the source of the girl's injuries.

"Look here Kurosaki, these wounds don't seem to have been made by a hollow," said Haruka. Ichigo bent down beside her and looked.

"You're right, these look like...sword slashes," said Ichigo. Before either of them could say something a shadow suddenly descended upon them from above. Ichigo quickly jumped out of the way, but Haruka was not so lucky. A large arm grabbed her by the throat. As the other freshmen watched on in horror, Ichigo regained his composure and saw the person who had attacked them. Though he looked different, his figure was unmistakeable to Ichigo: it was the former warlord Dialgos. His head had been hideously burned, so much so that the whole right side of his scalp was bare. Furthermore, the arm that Ichigo had cut off had been replaced with an entire made out of steel. The former warlord of Kabuki-cho was now using his arm to strangle Haruka to death.

"You look like a fine young woman," said Dialgos, licking his lips. "I think I should spare you and make you my woman." Haruka spat him on the face.

"Let me go you cretin!" she shouted. Disappointed by the rejection, Dialgos was about to raise his sword and kill Haruka when Ichigo unsheathed his sword.

"Release her at once Dialgos," said Ichigo in a firm voice. "Your opponent is me."

Dialgos promptly released his grip on Haruka and dropped her to the ground. He then turned around and glared at Ichigo. Ichigo saw that his right eye socket was now covered by an eyepatch. It took a few seconds for Dialgos to realize who he was looking at, but when he did, he grinned evilly.

"We meet again, Strawberry Ronin," said Dialgos. "You've changed your appearance but that face of yours is unmistakable. By a stroke of luck, I somehow survived being roasted by those flames, and now I've come back stronger than ever. I'm going to rip you apart right here and now, and you're going to suffer every bit of the way."

"Heh, your attitude hasn't changed," said Ichigo. "Even though your appearance has." Ichigo knew he couldn't afford to fight Dialgos with anything less than his full strength. He crossed his arms together and shouted "Gentei Kaijo!" The seal limiter on his right wrist lifted and Ichigo felt his full spiritual powers return to him.

"Yes, this is the reiatsu I am talking about. Come Strawberry Ronin! I'll show you how much stronger I've grown!" shouted Dialgos. The surrounding students could only look on in awe as the two combatants stood their ground for a moment, before both of them attacked. Dialgos swung a huge two-handed sword in a downward in front of his body. Ichigo dodged the attack. Knowing that he couldn't let the others get caught in the crossfire, Ichigo Shunpo-ed backwards, leading Dialgos away from them.

"Why are you running away Strawberry Ronin? Are you afraid of me?" asked Dialgos.

"I'm not running away," replied Ichigo. "I'm only changing the location of our battle. I don't want to risk the lives of my fellow students."

"Ha, ha, ha, how chivalrous you are! But such chivalry will be your undoing!" Dialgos swung at Ichigo again, with an attack that almost got Ichigo on the shoulder. _Shit, he's gotten much faster than before_, thought Ichigo._ That attack would've cut me if it had hit_. Ichigo had no desire to fight a protracted battle. He wanted to finish Dialgos quickly. He waited for Dialgos to make a huge downward slash at him again, and then using his sword to draw an invisible triangle in front of him, he proceeded to cast Bakudo 30 _Shitotsu Sansen_ at Dialgos. Three beams of light shaped like fangs slammed into Dialgos, pinning him against the side of a building.

"You son of a bitch! How the fuck did you manage to cast a spell like this?" asked Dialgos in a rage. Ichigo didn't bother responding. He was too busy charging up a follow up Hado spell. Holding his sword in his left hand, Ichigo pointed his right hand at Dialgos' chest.

"Ye Lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man!" chanted Ichigo. "Inferno and Pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march onto the south! Hado 31 _Shakkaho_!" From his hands he fired a huge ball of red energy that smashed into Dialgos. The resulting blast destroyed the entire building in a towering inferno that could be seen miles away.

When the dust and smoke cleared, Ichigo inspected the damage he had done. Amidst the rubble, Dialgos was still alive, but the _Shakkaho_ had scorched his entire body, and blood was dripping from his mouth.

"Still alive? You're tougher than I thought," said Ichigo. Dialgos slowly got up onto his feet, before he let out a bestial roar.

"You've humiliated me long enough, Strawberry Ronin," said Dialgos. "I'm going to beat the living shit out of you! Watch carefully, this is my Zanpakuto release!" Ichigo looked on with some concern as Dialgos held his sword in front of his body. "Destroy, _Ira_!" he shouted. Dialgos was instantly surrounded by thick red smoke. When the smoke cleared, Ichigo saw that the sword was gone. In its place were two massive black gauntlets, both of them with spikes on their knuckles. Ichigo was amazed at the sight. _What kind of Zanpakuto is that?_ He thought.

"Get ready Strawberry Ronin! You have never felt the terror I'm going to unleash!" shouted Dialgos at the top of his voice. With a primal roar he readied his right fist and thrust it forward. The force of his punch created a massive shockwave that almost blew Ichigo away. He struggled just to stand upright, such was the shockwave's intensity. _What incredible reiatsu! His spiritual power has gone up considerably!_ Ichigo thought.

Dialgos charged at Ichigo and thrust his left gauntlet directly at the ground in front of Ichigo's feet. The impact of the shockwave with the ground created a twenty foot wide crater in an instant. Ichigo jumped into the air to avoid being hit by the aftershock. This proved to be a mistake, for Ichigo was caught completely off guard when Dialgos jumped up and attacked him.

"You're finished Strawberry Ronin!" shouted Dialgos. Ichigo desperately raised his sword to block Dialgos' attack but the sheer force of the punch was far too powerful. The right gauntlet slammed into Ichigo's left arm and sent him smashing into a building on the other side of the street. As Ichigo recovered from a brief concussion, he suddenly felt a stinging pain in his stomach. He looked down and gasped when he saw a sharp metal pole sticking out of his waist. Ichigo tried to use his left arm to pull himself up, but then he realized his left arm was broken. _Shit, this is bad_, Ichigo thought. Without the use of his arms, Ichigo resorted to simply lifting himself up, enduring incredible pain as the metal pole tore through his body. Blood splattered everywhere around him. Ichigo staggered to the edge of the building and jumped down.

As soon as his feet touched the ground Ichigo collapsed onto his knees before he fell forward. His last sight before he blacked out was seeing the figure of Dialgos march towards him. The last sound he heard before he lost consciousness was a voice whispering "_Ichigo, Ichigo..._"

* * *

Notes: I know a lot of reviews have come in asking me whether or not Ichigo will get a new Zanpakuto or whether he'll get Zangetsu back. The answer to those questions will come in the next chapter. The outcome might probably dissappoint some of you but I hope once you read that chapter you'll why I chose this direction.

In anticipation of further questions, yes Dialgos survived his first battle with Ichigo, and yes his Zanpakuto release is Ira. The explanation for why he happens to be carrying Yammy's Zanpakuto will be revealed later on in the story.


	13. Chapter 13: The Blade and Me

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 13 The Blade and Me

Ichigo floated in the darkness. There was nothing around him except for a black void. _Am I dead?_ He thought to himself. _No you're not_, he heard another voice speak to him. _Who is this? Who was that voice?_ Ichigo wondered. _Wake up Ichigo,_ said the second voice. _Wake up and find me. I am waiting for you, Ichigo_.

Ichigo opened his eyes. For a moment, he wondered if he really was dead, for he was not in the middle of Karakura Town. Nor was there a gaping hole through his waist. Instead his body was completely normal, and he found himself floating in a sea of water, possibly in the middle of nowhere.

_Where am I?_ Ichigo thought to himself. He looked around and saw a sight that made him realize he wasn't in the middle of nowhere. Appearing in front of him was a massive skyscraper, its lower floors completely submerged. Ichigo swam around and inspected the skyscraper. He saw that it extended all the way to the very surface of this body of water. Ichigo swam further around and saw another skyscraper nearby. He turned his head again and this time he saw countless skyscrapers in the distance.

_Wait, don't tell me this place this..._Ichigo thought. Memories of the past came flashing back to him. Him waking up sitting on the side of a skyscraper. Him falling down from the skyscraper into a pool of water. Him waking up in the middle of an ocean of water that completely submerged a copy of Karakura Town. Those memories made Ichigo realize where he was. _This is my inner world_, he thought.

_You're quite right Ichigo_, said the voice in his ear again. _I've brought you here to awaken me_. Ichigo thought there was something familiar about the voice. He waited to hear the voice again. _Where are you coming from?_ He tried to speak with the voice using his thoughts. _I'm down here_, the voice answered. By 'down' Ichigo assumed he needed to dive deeper into this sea of water. So he swam down as far as he could, searching for the source of the voice. He swam for ages and still couldn't see the bottom of this sea. _Where are you?_ He sent out his thought again. _You're almost there Ichigo. Just a little further_, answered the voice. Ichigo kept on swimming down, hoping that the voice was right.

After what seemed like ten more minutes Ichigo finally reached the very bottom of the sea. The water around him was completely black. Ichigo couldn't even see the skyscrapers that were around him. _Where are you?_ Ichigo sent out his thought. _I'm right here_, the voice answered. Ichigo looked down and saw what was beneath. It looked like an enormous plug, more than a hundred foot wide. Ichigo wondered what this plug was for. _Free me!_ The voice shouted in his ear. _How?_ Ichigo responded. _Remove the plug. It is keeping me imprisoned_. Ichigo inspected the plug, trying to find a way to lift it. But the damn thing was sealed tight and his hands couldn't grab a foothold. _How do I lift this?_ He asked the voice. _Undo the screws pinning the plug down_, the voice responded.

Ichigo did as the voice asked. He inspected the plug again and saw that there were indeed screws running around the plug's outer edge. Ichigo put his hands on one of the screws and started to undo it. After a few turns the screw came off. _Alright_, Ichigo thought. Then he saw how many screws were left. _Shit, this is going to take a while_. He proceeded to the next screw and methodically loosened it. The process went on for ages, as there seemed to be hundreds of screws that pinned the plug down. When Ichigo had removed more than half the screws he suddenly found himself holding his breath. _What the hell? I can't breathe in water anymore?_ He asked himself. _It's the pressure Ichigo. Your body can't handle the pressure this deep for long. You must hurry and undo the screws! If you don't remove them in time you'll run out of breath!_

_Great, like I needed a time limit,_ Ichigo thought. He proceeded to undo the screws at an even faster pace. He managed to undo one screw every two seconds. Within about two minutes he had successfully removed all of the screws that were pinning the plug down. _Okay all of the screws are off. What do I do now?_ Ichigo asked the voice. _Remove the plug! Lift it up so that all the water will be drained away! _Ichigo did as the voice told him and pressed his hands against the corner of the plug. He tried lifting it up but it was far too heavy to move.

_I can't lift it!_ Ichigo thought. _Use all of your strength Ichigo! _The voice shouted in his ear. _Hurry! We're almost out of time! _Ichigo tried again, this time lifting the plug with all of his might. In one intense mental yell Ichigo pushed plug upwards. He succeeded in only lifting up a portion of the plug, but that was all he needed to do. A moment later, he felt the water around gush around him. He saw the water flow down into the hole. The flow was slow at first but it gradually built up speed. Soon the flow was so strong that it lifted the rest of the plug off the hole. The flow of water then became a swirling vortex. Ichigo tried hard not to get caught in it as the raging maelstrom of water churned around him. He looked up and saw the very surface of the sea above descend towards him at a rapid speed. He realized that the entire sea itself was being drained away.

Ichigo watched in amazement as the immense body of water he had swum in disappeared down the hole in one final maelstrom. When the all of the water finally drained away Ichigo looked around at what used to be the 'sea bed'. Now he found himself in the middle of a large plaza, surrounded on all sides by skyscrapers that ascended thousands of metres in the air. Ichigo glanced down again at the hole all of the water supposedly flowed into. He spotted something lying at the very bottom of that hole. It looked like a person. Ichigo jumped down into the hole. He fell another several hundred metres before he reached the bottom. When he finally stood beside the body of the person he had seen above, Ichigo's eyes widened in astonishment. The person was someone had seen before. Someone who used to reside in Ichigo's inner world. Someone who had supposedly disappeared forever.

"Zangetsu...ossan," said Ichigo. The spirit of his Zanpakuto looked up at him and smiled. His appearance was now identical what he originally looked like when Ichigo first met him, so many years ago, with a flowing black coat, a beard, and most importantly, yellow goggles covering his eyes.

"I knew you and I would meet again, Ichigo," said Zangetsu. Ichigo lifted him onto his back and jumped all the way up the shaft until he exited the hole again. He helped Zangetsu stand on his feet again.

"I thought you were gone forever after I used the Final Getsuga Tensho," said Ichigo. "You told me I would lose all of my spiritual powers"

"True I did say that," said Zangetsu. "But I never said all of your spiritual powers were gone forever. Rather, they were sealed into the very core of your being. You see, the effect of the Final Getsuga Tensho and the Mugetsu was to discharge all of your reiatsu into a single attack. Had you actually done so your spiritual body would have perished, as you would have not only lost all of your spiritual energy, but you would have lost the life force that sustained your human body as well. In order to protect your life, I chose to seal the last remaining vestiges of your reiatsu along with myself into your Saketsu and Hakusui. This had the effect of sealing your inner world, and with it your ability to tap into your spiritual powers."

"So what you're saying is that all this time I still had a miniscule amount of spiritual energy left in my body, but I couldn't use it, as it was sealed into my Saketsu and Hakusui? And as a result of this I lost my ability to see spirits?"

"Yes, denying you any spiritual power was vital in order for me to repair the damage you had done to your spiritual body. Whilst I lay dormant in the core of your soul, I used my power to slowly rebuild your inner world to its original state. Once that was done, I went into hibernation, waiting for the moment when you would require my powers once again."

"Huh, you were waiting for me this whole time? Then why didn't I regain my powers when I was killed by a hollow?" asked Ichigo.

"Unfortunately, I couldn't foresee everything that might happen to you during the time I was in hibernation," admitted Zangetsu. "Your death was an unexpected event and resulted in the flooding of your inner world due to the despair you suffered in that one moment. However, your death had one positive side effect: it caused me to reawaken earlier than I expected. I knew the time was almost right for you to regain your spiritual powers, for both your Saketsu and Hakusui were ready to restore your spiritual energy in an instant. All that was needed was a trigger that would cause both of them to activate."

"And that trigger was the incident in Uraya-cho when I picked up that random katana?" asked Ichigo. He remembered that shortly after he picked up the sword and used it to fight the ten armed men who attacked him, he started hearing voices in his head.

"Not exactly. When you picked up that katana, it created a link between your soul and the blade that I could slowly pour my powers into. But the real trigger was your subsequent near death experience. Your thoughts ended up reaching me and I felt the need to respond. It was your desire to win that ignited the dormant fires of your soul. After that point you regained a significant portion of your former spiritual powers, but I judged the moment was too soon for you to release me from the seal. I wanted you to give you time to get used to having your powers back and attaining a level of control over those powers that you never had before."

"Ah, I get it now. So the voice that was in my head during the fight in Uraya-cho, during my battle with Dialgos and in my experience at the Academy so far, that was you guiding me and observing my progress?"

"Yes. And your progress vastly exceeded my expectations," said Zangetsu. "I think you are finally ready to fully regain your Shinigami powers."

"So is it finally time for me to unlock your release, Zangetsu ossan?" asked Ichigo. "But my reiatsu is nowhere near as great as it was when I was a Substitute Shinigami."

"And it probably never will be that great ever again. But you shouldn't worry about it. Your reiatsu level will increase over time. The fact of the matter is, you could never have controlled the amount of reiatsu you had before, for it was simply too great for your body to handle. That was why most of it was kept under the seal you just removed. But now you have full control over your reiatsu, and in consequence full control over your powers. You are more than ready to wield by blade once again..."

With those words, Ichigo's consciousness slowly returned to the real world. As he did so, he sent one final mental message to Zangetsu: _Thank you, Zangetsu ossan_...

* * *

Dialgos, with his Zanpakuto still released, walked over to Ichigo's unconscious body, and gloated over his opponent.

"Ha, ha, ha, I did it! I've finally defeated you!" he laughed madly. "Now all that's left is for me to cut off your head." Just as he was about to finish Ichigo off, Dialgos experienced a massive surge of reiatsu.

"Where, where is this spiritual pressure coming from?" asked Dialgos. He soon realized that the reiatsu was coming Ichigo himself, for a moment later Ichigo's body glowed a bright blue in colour. Then, to Dialgos' astonishment, Ichigo slowly got onto his feet. The wounds in his abdomen had closed up and he was no longer dripping blood.

"Impossible, how could you even stay conscious?" asked Dialgos in disbelief. His eyes widened even further when the colour of Ichigo's hair changed. The black dye Ichigo had used on his hair vanished, revealing his natural orange hair. Ichigo stared at Dialgos with eyes full of killing intent.

"Alright Dialgos, it is time we finished this," said the revived Ichigo. He raised his sword above his head. At that moment Zangetsu's voice whispered in his head again._ Abandon your fear. Face Forward. Advance. Don't give an inch_. _If you retreat you will age. If you're afraid you'll die_._ Now, shout this phrase!_ The words of his Zanpakuto's release command screamed in Ichigo's ear, and Ichigo only had to repeat them.

"Pierce the heavens, _Zangetsu_!" he shouted, slashing his sword down as he did so. In that instant a massive burst of blue spirit energy erupted out from the blade and shot right through Dialgos. The former warlord flinched and shut his eyes as Ichigo's body was subsequently engulfed by a glowing blue aura.

When the aura finally dissipated, Ichigo was kneeling on one knee, holding a completely different looking sword in his right hand. It was a huge crescent shaped cleaver, nearly five foot in length. At the end of the blade was a black and white crescent shaped guard. And at the end of the hilt trailed a five foot long white tassel made of thick silk, ending in a black and white metallic strip. Ichigo stared at his Zanpakuto. It was almost identical to his original Shikai's design, but the slight changes indicated that it was a much more refined and powerful version. _Looks like Zangetsu has gotten stronger, _Ichigo thought with a smile.

"What the fuck just happened?" asked Dialgos. He also stared at Ichigo's Zanpakuto, wondering how it could suddenly transform into a huge meat cleaver. And he was still puzzled at the bright blue light that struck him moments earlier. Ichigo stood up again and grinned.

"It's over Dialgos," said Ichigo. He pointed at the crescent shaped hole in the ground that ended at Dialgos' feet.

"Huh?" asked Dialgos. He was still in a state of confusion when all of a sudden a scar appeared from his right shoulder that ran all the way down to his hips. It was followed by a massive spray of blood into the air like a waterspout. The blood splattered onto the ground a second later, and the second after that Dialgos fell onto his back, splashing into his own pool of blood.

With Dialgos defeated Ichigo took stock of the situation. The wound through his abdomen was painful, but he was still able to stand. As he was about to leave he suddenly saw a crowd of people running towards him. As they got closer, Ichigo realized it was his fellow freshmen classmates. _Oh shit_, he thought. Almost all of them had felt the two enormous spiritual pressures a moment before and had run towards them. Soon Ichigo was surrounded by nearly a hundred people, all of them gazing at the scene in front of them. The sight of Dialgos' bloody body was shocking enough but when they saw Ichigo's appearances, many of the freshmen gasped.

"It's the orange Ryoka!" screamed one freshmen from a noble family.

"The one who fought against the captains!" exclaimed another freshmen.

"Look at that Zanpakuto he's holding!" shouted a third freshmen. But there was a fourth voice that made Ichigo realize the entire charade he had put up at the Academy was over.

"I don't believe it, it's the Strawberry Ronin!" cried Taneko in joyous delight. _Shit, looks like everyone knows who I am really am now_, Ichigo thought. His classmates were about to approach him to ask him questions, but they all gasped when Dialgos suddenly got up again. Blood was still dripping from his body and the two halves of his torso were barely hanging together.

.Ichigo stared at the person he thought he had just defeated.

"Geez, you don't know when to give up do you?" asked Ichigo.

"YOU'RE DEAD STRAWBERRY RONIN!" screamed an almost dead Dialgos, carrying the broken shards of his Zanpakuto.

Just as Ichigo was about to raise _Zangetsu_ for another attack, a crimson beam of energy sliced through Dialgos' neck, causing his head to fall off his body. The sight caused many of the surrounding students to puke, as Dialgos' body, now clearly dead, fell onto the ground for the final time. Those who kept their nerves now glanced at the source of the red beam of energy, and nearly all of them dropped to their knees as a sign of respect.

"Headmaster!" exclaimed all of the freshmen.

"My, my what an ugly scene this is," said Urahara Kisuke. "You've certainly caused a lot of trouble, Kurosaki-san." Ichigo couldn't help but laugh at his sudden appearance.

"Heh, sorry for making you clean up after me, Urahara-san," he said. Urahara smiled.

"Alright everyone, move along now! Nothing to see here! Return to your living quarters. Kurosaki-san and I need to talk alone." Urahara's order made all of the freshmen disappointed, but sharp words from the two sixth year students made them comply. After they had left the scene, Ichigo could finally speak to Urahara in private.

"Boy oh boy, this incident is going to spread across the entire Seireitei tomorrow," said Urahara. "It was a good thing that I managed to bring a trusted friend of yours along." At that moment a familiar but unexpected figure appeared beside Urahara.

"Rukia!" exclaimed Ichigo. "How did you…" Ichigo didn't finish his words before he suddenly fell onto his back and blacked out.

* * *

When Ichigo woke up again, he found himself staring up at Rukia's face.

"How are you feeling Ichigo?" asked Rukia.

"Uh, I feel terrible," replied Ichigo. Rukia smiled.

"You always overdo it don't you Ichigo? If Urahara-san hadn't requested me to accompany him, who knows how you might have fared?" Ichigo knew what the answer to that question was going to be, but he chose not to say it. Instead he simply smiled.

"I owe you again Rukia. That's twice you've saved my life." Rukia laughed, and helped Ichigo onto his feet. She then handed him his Zanpakuto.

"It seems that the cause of your collapse was because you used too much of your spiritual energy," said Rukia.

"Yeah I noticed that as well," said Ichigo as he glanced at his sword. "I don't have enough reiatsu to keep my Zanpakuto in a permanent shikai state anymore." The hilt wrap hanging from the sword automatically formed a scabbard for the blade as Ichigo tucked it under his belt. He and Rukia saw Urahara walk towards him.

"It looks like you've recovered Kurosaki-san," said Urahara. "Both you and Kuchiki-san should return to Soul Society. I unfortunately must stay here to sort out tonight's incident." With that Urahara Shunpo-ed away, leaving Ichigo and Rukia alone.

Just as Rukia was about to open a Seireimon, Ichigo spotted four people running towards them. He couldn't make them out at first but as they got closer he realized who they were.

"Heh, it seems our old nakama sensed my reiatsu," said Ichigo. Rukia gave a slight chuckle. The two of them watched as Orihime, Ishida, Chad and Tatsuki approached them.

"Oh my god, is that Kurosaki-kun?" asked Orihime.

"He sure looks like him," said Ishida.

"Look, he's with someone," Tatsuki pointed out.

"That's…Rukia-san," said Chad. When the four Karakura locals finally got within ten feet of Ichigo, they were all overcome with a sense of joy and happiness. Orihime was quick to hug her arms around Ichigo. Tatsuki followed soon after, giving Ichigo a slap on the face before giving him a hug. Ishida and Chad chose to shake Ichigo's hand. As all of this happened Ichigo's mind went through a whole series of emotions. _Crap, what am I supposed to say to them_, he thought. _I have to say something to them now_.

"I've really missed you Kurosaki-kun," said Orihime. "There hasn't been a day when I didn't think about you."

"Is that so?" asked Ichigo. "Wow, I didn't know you missed me that much." His words instantly prompted Tatsuki to slap his face again.

"You baka Ichigo! Have you forgotten about Orihime-chan's feelings for you? Or about mine?" asked Tatsuki angrily. "Do you realize the pain we suffered when we found out you had died? We didn't even have a chance to say goodbye to you!" Tatsuki was restrained by Chad to stop her from hitting Ichigo any further. She then promptly broke into tears.

"Don't worry about Tatsuki," said Chad. "She's been in a bad mood ever since your death. I guess your loss hit her really hard."

"What about Inoue? She doesn't seem so sad," said Ichigo,

"Are you blind Kurosaki? Inoue has been hurting just as badly as Arisawa has," said Ishida. "And it's been worse for her because she's kept all of that hurt bottled up inside her."

"It's alright Ishida-kun. I'm much better now than I was before," said Orihime.

Ichigo took stock of the things his friends were telling him. They were exactly the sort of words he had feared he would get if he saw them again; which was why he had chosen to hide from them at the cemetery. _Great, I'm in really deep shit now_, he thought. _I'd better say something to cheer them up_..

"Guys, I know it's been hard for you," said Rukia. "But think of what it must have been like for Ichigo. He didn't expect to die the way he did. He was sent to Soul Society in difficult circumstances, and once there he was forced to survive and look after his sisters at the same time. It was through sheer coincidence that I was able to find him two weeks' later, and afterwards the higher ups in Seireitei forced him to enlist in the Shinigami Academy. Had he been given a choice to see you sooner than, I know he would have done so."

Ichigo was rather surprised at Rukia's spirited words. He never expected her to leap to his defence, and to do so in a way that demonstrated the trust and respect she had for him.

"Hey Rukia, you don't have to go that far," said Ichigo. He finally plucked up the courage to face his friends. "Guys I'm sorry for all the hurt I've caused you. I can't imagine how you felt during those first few days after my death. I wished could have been there to see it myself, and indeed as Rukia said, I wished I had seen all you guys sooner. But I hope you're able to forgive me. I know I can't remain in the world of the living any longer, but I promise that this won't be the last time you'll see me."

"We understand Kurosaki," said Ishida.

"I wish you and Rukia-san the best of luck," said Chad.

"I hope you come back soon Kurosaki-kun," said Orihime. Ichigo nodded.

"I will." He turned around and watched as Rukia opened the Seireimon. Just before she and Ichigo were about to cross through Tatsuki said something to him that surprised him a bit.

"I'll miss you Ichigo," she said. Ichigo smiled and waved her and the rest of his nakama a goodbye, before he finally stepped through the portal. The Seireimon closed behind him.

The four locals of Karakura Town decided to make their way back home.

"You know, I've been thinking," said Tatsuki. "On the very last occasion we saw Ichigo, I got the impression that he had grown tired of living in this world."

"Really? I never thought of it that way Tatsuki-chan," said Orihime.

"Come to think of it, you're right. He did seem like someone who had lost the will to live," said Ishida. "Perhaps it was his destiny to remain a Shinigami all along."

* * *

In a dark cavern, in some other place, far away from the world of the living, three individuals gathered in the shadows, their bodies obscured by the darkness.

"Dialgos is dead," said a male voice.

"Oh? That strawberry kid actually killed him?" asked a second male voice. "Are we going to retrieve his corpse?"

"No, just leave it lying there," said a female voice. "We have no further use for him. His role as a test subject has been accomplished. Our preparations are almost complete. Everything has gone according to plan."

"What about the strawberry kid?" asked the first male voice.

"He presents no danger to us," the female voice smirked. "In fact, his growing powers might prove useful to us in the future. For now, we'd better keep a close watch on those pawns of ours."

"As you say leader," said the second male voice. The three figures dispersed.

* * *

Notes: This is the chapter that everyone has been waiting for-the moment when Ichigo regains his Zanpakuto. Judging by the comments I've received so far, I know a lot of readers are going to be angry that Ichigo got Zangetsu back again. But I also know that many readers wanted him to keep Zangetsu. In the end I decided that it was more convenient for Ichigo to retain Zangetsu than to make up an entirely new Zanpakuto, as the former option would be more plausible. Hopefully the explanation given in the chapter will satisfy those who wanted Ichigo to have a different Zanpakuto.

There was another question left hanging at the end of the last chapter and that was about the status of Dialgos. I should have stated this in the last chapter to avoid confusion but I will say that Dialgos is not Yammy's reincarnation. How he survived Yama's flames and obtained Yammy's Zanpakuto is something that will be revealed in future chapters, but the scene at the end of the chapter gives a hint.


	14. Chapter 14: Back in Black

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 14 Back in Black

The incident in Karakura Town soon became common news throughout the Academy and gradually through most of Seireitei as well. Within days of Ichigo's return from the real world, every single student at the Academy, from his fellow freshmen to the sixth years, knew who he really was. There were different reactions to the revelation of his identity. Those students who were children of the nobility regarded Ichigo with awe and a hint of fear. Having heard about the events surrounding the Ryoka invasion of Soul Society, they had trouble comprehending that the legendary orange Ryoka who challenged the captains was actually their classmate.

A smaller group of students, those who came from the worst districts of Rukongai, regarded Ichigo as a hero. The overthrow of the warlord Dialgos had spread throughout nearly all of the outlying districts; and the figure of the 'Strawberry Ronin' himself was a symbol of hope and aspiration for many of the students from Rukongai.

Regardless of how his fellow students viewed him, Ichigo knew that he could no longer pretend to simply an ordinary student at the Academy. Urahara and the other Academy heads were also fully aware of this fact. In an executive meeting four days after the Karakura incident, the subject coordinators all agreed to place Ichigo on an accelerated two week program that would teach him the final remaining skills he would need in order to qualify as a Shinigami, then have him immediately undertake the Gotei 13 recruitment examination.

Even the co-ordinators however, underestimated how quick Ichigo was able to grasp the essential concepts and master them. Within two days he had learnt how to open a Seireimon to and from the world of the living. Within another two days he knew how to communicate with a Jigokucho or hell butterfly, use the proper Danreishinki, or soul messenger phone, and use a Kikanshinki, or memory replacement device. Within a week, Ichigo had managed to learn the incantations for Bakudo and Hado spells up to level 70, albeit a basic superficial level. The only aspect that Ichigo had not been able to learn was any sort of decent skill in Hakuda, but as he was going to be enrolling in the Gotei 13, the subject co-ordinators judged that aspect not necessary for his qualifications.

In less than two weeks after the Karakura Incident, Ichigo found himself undertaking the Gotei 13 recruit examination, and in doing so set the record for the fastest time any student had completed the entire six year course. When Urahara decided that his examination was to be held in public, nearly all of the students chose to skip their classes and watch this super 'tensai' in action.

After a brief written examination that was held in private, Ichigo walked out onto the Academy oval, where the Kido and Hohou examinations were to be held. Waiting for him in the middle of the oval was the Kido and Hohou coordinator herself, Shihouin Yoruichi.

"Hey Ichigo, how's it going?" asked Yoruichi.

"You're going to be my examiner Yoruichi-san?" asked Ichigo.

"Only for the Kido and Hohou portions. We're having someone special supervise your Zanjutsu examination." Ichigo looked around and saw a crowd of more than two hundred students had already gathered in the grassy area around the oval. _Looks like everyone skipped class and chose to watch me instead_, he thought.

"Alright, are you ready to begin Ichigo?" asked Yoruichi. Ichigo nodded. With a wave of her hand Yoruichi made four life sized target dummies to appear in the middle of the oval.

"For the first test I want you to cast four low-level Bakudo spells, one on each of the target dummies, in quick succession. They must be cast without incantations, and each spell must be different. This test is to see how fast you cast low level spells," explained Yoruichi. Ichigo understood the instructions. When Yoruichi gave the signal to begin, he quickly shot off a Bakudo 1 _Sai_ on the first dummy, followed by a Bakudo 4 _Hainawa_ on the second dummy. He proceeded to cast Bakudo 9 _Geki_ on the third dummy and finished with the other Bakudo 9 _Horin_ on the final dummy.

"Fifteen point six seconds to cast all four spells," said Yoruichi. "Impressive work." The students who were watching clapped and cheered. They had never seen someone fire off Kido spells so quickly before. Ichigo watched as Yoruichi put up a fifth dummy, this one set much further back than the original four.

"The next test is going to be harder. You must perform a Niju Eisho on this next dummy, combining a 30s Bakudo followed simultaneously by a 30s level Hado," explained Yoruichi. Ichigo nodded in comprehension. He knew full well the spells he was going to cast. He began chanting the incantation for Bakudo 30 _Shitotsu Sansen_, and mixed it with the incantation for Hado 31 _Shakkaho_. Once both incantations were done Ichigo fired the _Shitotsu Sansen_ at the dummy and followed it with the _Shakkaho_. The target dummy was first impaled by the golden triangles before being blasted to bits by the red energy blast. Yoruichi made all of the dummies disappear into the ground and made a single target appear at the other end of the oval.

"Alright here's the final test. This time I want you to cast a 60s level Hado at full power. I know you're currently on the limiter at the moment, so this is to test whether you can draw out the full power of the Hado with a limited amount of reiatsu," explained Yoruichi. Ichigo nodded and pointed his right hand at the target, with his left hand clasped over his right wrist.

"Sprinkled on the bones of the beast!" chanted Ichigo. "Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle! Hado 63 _Raikoho_!" An enormous tendril of yellow lighting shot out of Ichigo's hand and struck the target, turning it into ash in an instant before dissipating a second later. The sight of the lightning caused all of the surrounding students to gasp in utter astonishment.

A few seconds afterwards Ichigo fell onto his hands and knees completely spent. The strain of casting all of those Kido had finally taken its toll on him.

"Looks like you've run out of spirit energy," said Yoruichi with a grin on her face. "Here let me restore it for you." She placed her hands on Ichigo's shoulders and within a minute Ichigo felt his energy completely restored. She helped him to his feet.

"Congratulations Ichigo, you've passed the Kido exam. Now we move onto Hohou. For this exam, you can remove your limiter." Ichigo promptly undid the limiter of the seal on his right wrist, and felt the surge of reiatsu entering his body. Yoruichi led him to the running track that surrounded the oval.

"For the first part of the Hohou exam we're going to test how far you can Shunpo in a single step," said Yoruichi. "You must attempt to cover the first 100 metres of the running track without touching the ground."

"Got it Yoruichi-san," said Ichigo. He lined up on the starting lined. When Yoruichi gave the signal to begin he sprung off the ground. Using the reishi under his feet as a cushion Ichigo glided across the track, his feet never touching the ground until he covered the entire 100 metres. When he finally stopped, he heard the cheers of his fellow students. From their perspective, Ichigo had disappeared at the starting line and reappeared at the end a few seconds later.

"2.5 seconds, that must be an Academy record," said Yoruichi. "I'm guessing you could have gone on much further than that with a single Shunpo."

"Yeah I could probably cover a mile in just a single step," said Ichigo.

"Don't be so confident now," chuckled Yoruichi. "The second part of the exam is to test how quickly you can Shunpo over a certain distance and how many of them you can do without getting tired. For this part of the test you are to run around the remaining 300 metres of the track." Ichigo glanced at the rest of the track and saw there were hurdles dotted at five metre intervals across all eight lanes of the track. Each of these hurdles was rigged up with a stick of dynamite. What was more they were nearly five foot high.

"As you can see all of these hurdles are explosive. Your goal is to not touch any of those hurdles but you cannot jump over them either. There is also a time limit to this test." Yoruichi showed Ichigo the last obstacle, ballista with a rocket attached to it. _Oh boy_, Ichigo thought. _Looks like I have to outrun the rocket, otherwise it will blow up the hurdles behind me_.

"Okay, I understand what I have to do Yoruichi-san," said Ichigo. With a deep breath, he took his place at the starting blocks. When Yoruichi gave the signal to begin he immediately started Shunpo-ing around the hurdles in a zigzagging manner. Ten seconds after Ichigo began Yoruichi fired the rocket. It hit the first set of hurdles and blew them up in a large explosion. The rocket plowed though each of the hurdles in succession, causing all of them to blow up. Having covered almost two thirds of the distance, Ichigo was well aware that the rocket was gaining on him. He increased the speed of his Shunpo steps, his barely touching the ground for a microsecond. Just as the rocket was about to hit him Ichigo crossed the finish line and jumped clear. The rocket streaked into the air and exploded. At that moment the entire crowd of now almost 5400 students clapped their hands in appreciation. They had been treated to a stunning display of Shinigami skill from one of their own.

"That was a close call there Ichigo," smiled Yoruichi. "You were almost hit by the rocket. Still, you almost managed a hundred flash steps within about fifteen seconds. Not a bad feat at all. In time you may even match the goddess of flash herself." Ichigo couldn't help but grin at Yoruichi.

After passing both the Kido and Hohou exams, Ichigo was allowed two hours to fully recover his spiritual energy. He was then ordered to take his Zanpakuto and head over to the Zanjutsu hall. When he entered the hall he was taken aback by the number of people who had gathered. Almost every single student from all year levels of the Academy were present, as were all of the subject teachers and co-ordinators. Clearly all of them were here to watch Ichigo's Zanjutsu examination, as word had spread around that a famous member of the Gotei 13 was going to be the examiner.

As Ichigo arrived in the middle of the central arena, he was greeted by Urahara, Yoruichi and the Zanjutsu coordinator Aizawa.

"How are you feeling Kurosaki-san?" asked Urahara. "Have you recovered your energy from the Kido and Hohou exams yet?"

"Yep, I'm all fresh now Urahara-san," said Ichigo.

"Well then, I'll leave Aizawa-san to take it from here." Urahara and Yoruichi stepped out of the arena, leaving Aizawa and Ichigo alone.

"Are you going to be my examiner?" asked Ichigo of his former Zanjutsu teacher.

"No. I'm afraid that even I am no match for the level of power you possess now," Aizawa admitted. "Instead, an old comrade of my mine has been invited here to act as your examiner." With that a figure who had been hiding amongst the shadows of the stand stepped out. When Ichigo saw who it was he gasped in surprise. The bald dome was unmistakable.

"I-Ikkaku-san?" asked Ichigo. The other students were surprised too. They were ecstatic at the appearance of the 11th division's third seat officer, one of the most skilled Zanjutsu practitioners in the whole of the Gotei 13.

"It's been a long while since I've seen your face Ichigo," said Ikkaku with a grin on his face. "When I was invited by the Headmaster to act as your examiner, I was delighted with the honour. I never thought I'd have the chance to fight you again."

"Um, we're not going to fight for real Ikkaku-san?"

"Depends on your definition of what a serious fight is," said Ikkaku. "If you're asking if we're fighting to the death, then of course it isn't going to be _that_ serious. But I am going to push you to your very limits. This examination is meant to test your Zanjutsu skills after all, and depending on how well you do, I might even use all of my powers. Does that sound good Ichigo?"

"Heh, that's fine with me," said Ichigo. He unsheathed his sword from its scabbard. "I'm ready to take you on."

"That's the spirit," Ikkaku grinned. He unsheathed his sword from its scabbard, before holding the scabbard with his left hand. "Let's start with a pure blade on blade fight. No tricks, no Kido, no Zanpakuto releases, just pure skill alone. If you can draw blood from me, you pass this phase of the test." Ichigo nodded.

When Urahara gave the signal for the fight to begin Ichigo and Ikkaku charged at each other. Ichigo swung his sword at Ikkaku's left side but the third seat blocked it with his scabbard.

"Nice move there. But you're going to have to do better than that to get past my defences!" shouted Ikkaku. He pushed Ichigo back and commenced attacking with his own sword. Ichigo used both hands to block Ikkaku's swing, and the two combatants locked blades for several seconds. Then both of them launched into a flurry of attacks and counter attacks accompanied by intricate sword swings, thrusts and parries. The aim of each fighter was not to land a decisive blow at their opponent but to push each other back and make one of them drop his guard.

After about two minutes of stalemated fighting, Ikkaku moved to end the fight by slamming his sword on the ground, creating a shockwave that streaked towards Ichigo. Ichigo jumped up and did a mid-air somersault. As he did so he swung his sword at Ikkaku's face. Ikkaku saw through the move and brought up his sword in a counter attack. The two slashed each other on the face almost simultaneously, both of them drawing blood on their opponent's right cheek. As Ichigo landed on the ground again, he turned to face Ikkaku.

"Here, take some of this styptic," said Ikkaku. He popped the pommel from the end of his sword and handed some sticky cream to Ichigo. Ichigo rubbed the cream on his feet, which had the effect of stopping the bleeding. He saw that Ikkaku did the same. As they were applying the styptic, the crowd was cheering loudly at the amazing display of swordsmanship.

"I'm impressed Ichigo. You managed to cut me with the exact same move you did during the previous fight with hand, and with an unsealed blade too," said Ikkaku. "Your Zanjutsu skills clearly have gotten much better."

"Thanks for the compliment Ikkaku-san," said Ichigo.

"Now, I supposed I could let you pass the examination right now, as you've more than achieved the basic standard for a Gotei 13 recruit. But I know you'd be disappointed if our fight ended there. So let's fight for real this time. We'll fight using our Shikais, and if you can scratch me again, you'll be on the level of a high level officer."

"Sounds really good to me," said Ichigo. When Ikkaku told him to go first, Ichigo promptly raised his sword above his head.

"Pierce the heavens, _Zangetsu_!" he shouted. As he swung his arm down, his Zanpakuto changed into a huge crescent shaped cleaver.

"Nice, very nice!" exclaimed Ikkaku. "Your Zanpakuto looks as sharp as ever." Ikkaku proceeded to release his Zanpakuto. He slammed the scabbard against the hilt of his sword.

"Grow, _Hozukimaru_!" shouted Ikkaku. A gust of wind engulfed the sword and scabbard as they both transformed into an eight foot long naginata with a red horsehair tassel attached to the end. Of course, having seen it once before, Ichigo knew the naginata was actually a sansetsukon, or three part staff.

"Let's go Ichigo," said Ikkaku, holding the naginata with both hands. He charged at Ichigo and immediately thrust the spear point of his naginata forwards in rapid succession. Ichigo used the thick edge of his blade to block most of the thrusts and dodged the ones he couldn't. Eventually Ikkaku lapsed in the ferocity of his forward thrusts and Ichigo seized the chance to land a vertical slash upon him, holding the hilt of his Zanpakuto with both hands. Ikkaku blocked Ichigo's attack with the rear end of his naginata.

"That was a good slash, but not quick enough," said Ikkaku. "Split, _Hozukimaru_!" The naginata separated into a three sectioned staff, and Ikkaku swung the spear point end of the staff at Ichigo's face. Ichigo dodged the spear by falling backwards. As he fell he literally threw _Zangetsu_ at Ikkaku. The move caught Ikkaku by surprise and he barely managed to dodge it. Ichigo got back onto his feet again and retracted the hilt wrap, causing _Zangetsu_ to fly back into his hands. Ichigo then grabbed hold of the hilt wrap again and used it to swing the entire blade of his Zanpakuto above his head.

"Wow, that was quite an impressive move you did there," said Ikkaku with a smile. "I was totally caught off guard by it."

"This is a move I used to destroy the execution stand of the Sokyoku," said Ichigo. "But until now I never bothered to try it out in actual combat."

"Is that so? Then I am doubly amazed that you could have mastered it that quickly," said Ikkaku. "Looks like I can't afford to hold back at all. Let me show you Ichigo, a secret move of that I never got the chance to use in our previous fight!"

Ikkaku returned his Zanpakuto to its naginata form and spun it above his head like Ichigo. The spinning soon created a spiraling gust of wind that surrounded Ikkaku's body. Ichigo noticed that Ikkaku's spiritual pressure was rising rapidly.

"_Ryu Mai_. A dance that increases the attack power of _Hozukimaru_. I normally don't use this move when I'm in shikai, but this time is an exception," said Ikkaku. "Let's go Ichigo. We'll finish this is one blow!" The two of them continued to spin their Zanpakutos in the air for a few seconds before they grasped them in their hands again. Then they charged at each other. When their blades clashed the impact created a flash of light that blinded most of the people in the crowd. The light faded, and everyone could see that the two fighters had exchanged places. A second later a torrent of blood spurted out of Ichigo's left forearm.

"Damn, I got cut," said Ichigo. A second after that however, a similar torrent of blood appeared on Ikkaku's left forearm.

"I can't believe this. We're dead even," Ikkaku smiled. He turned to face Ichigo. "You pass Ichigo. If you can fight this well against me then you have the fighting power of a third seat officer at least." With that Ikkaku sealed his Zanpakuto before shaking Ichigo's hand. He was about to bid farewell to Ichigo, Urahara and the subject coordinators when another voice said "Wait, Ikkaku."

A second later the entire Zanjutsu hall was buffeted with an immense spiritual pressure, so strong that several of the weaker students, particularly the freshmen, started losing consciousness. Everyone in the hall wondered where the source was coming from but when they saw a figure standing at the rear door they all gasped in utter shock. There he was, the terrifying captain of the 11th division, Zaraki Kenpachi himself.

"Kenpachi…" stuttered Ichigo. Even he was terrified of him. His one and only fight with him had left such an impression that Kenpachi had once become the embodiment of his own killer instinct.

"Taicho, why are you here? I thought you were still at the barracks," said Ikkaku.

"I just wanted to check out your fight with Ichigo, to see how much stronger he's grown," said Kenpachi with a grin on his face. "But it looks like the fight's already over. Oh well, now that I'm here I would like to play with Ichigo for a bit."

"Um, Taicho, you're not going to fight Ichigo are you?"

"No, I'm just going to give him a test, the last one he needs if he is going to become an officer." Kenpachi walked towards Ichigo.

"Er, what do you mean the last test I need Kenpachi-san?" asked Ichigo.

"You must know Ichigo, that it takes more than just a strong fighting ability to be a high level officer. It also requires the ability to be a leader of men, to inspire others to keep fighting, and above all, courage in the face of overwhelming adversity," Kenpachi explained. "If you can survive the full force of my spiritual pressure and not give in to despair or run recklessly to your death, then you will have proved yourself to be a genuine leader and worthy of an officer. Are you ready for it?"

"I guess so," said Ichigo with a shrug. He soon regretted his words when he saw Kenpachi take off his eye patch. A second later a massive aura of yellow spirit energy engulfed his body and caused the entire Zanjutsu hall to be bathed a truly overwhelming spiritual pressure. Ichigo's knees started to buckle and a shiver right down his spine. Beads of sweat formed all over his face. _Man, his reiatsu is truly terrifying. I can't believe I ever fought a monster like him_, thought Ichigo.

"Get ready Ichigo. I'm going to attack you with everything I've got!" shouted Kenpachi.

"Wait a minute!" protested Ichigo. He panicked when he saw Kenpachi raise his sword above his head. But then Zangetsu's words flashed back into his mind. _If I'm afraid I'll die. I must abandon my fear and face forward. _Ichigo held _Zangetsu_ sideways in front of his body and stood his ground. He would neither retreat nor attack. He knew he stood no chance against Kenpachi and knew that if Kenpachi truly attacked him for real he would die instantly. But he didn't care. He watched as Kenpachi swung his sword down at his head. _This is it_, Ichigo thought. He closed his eyes and hoped for the best.

Kenpachi stopped his attack when his blade was mere inches from Ichigo's head. Ichigo opened his eyes again and saw a huge grin on the 11th division captain's face.

"You pass Ichigo," Kenpachi smiled. "Not many Shinigami could stare death in the face like that and not cower in fear. You've truly conquered your fear. I'm so happy."

"Uh, Kenpachi-san," said Urahara in a hoarse voice. "You'd better put on your eye patch. Your reiatsu's having a severe effect on the audience." Urahara pointed to the stands, where every single Academy student and most of the teachers were lying face down unconscious, with drool flowing from their mouths.

"Whoops, I guess I went overboard!" laughed Kenpachi as he put on his eye patch and sheathed his sword.

* * *

After the Gotei 13 recruitment exam ended with everyone knocked out by Kenpachi's spiritual pressure, the Central 46 and the Captain Commander approved Ichigo's entry into the Gotei 13. He would graduate knowing that he had completed the entire six-year course in the shortest ever time in the Academy's history, shorter than even previous tensai such as Ichimaru or Hitsugaya. Despite his short time at the Academy, Ichigo had already left a profound impression in the hearts and minds of his fellow students, as well as all of the teachers.

Three days after the end of the examination, Ichigo found himself back at the 1st division barracks again, this time kneeling in front of the Captain Commander Kyoraku Shunsui, his lieutenant Sasakibe Chojiro, and the Academy Headmaster Urahara.

"Sasakibe-san, please hand me the document," said Shunsui. The first division lieutenant handed Shunsui a red scroll. Shunsui unfolded it and started reading.

"I, Kyoraku Shunsui, by the authority of the Central 46, hereby decree that the man Kurosaki Ichigo has been accepted as a Shinigami of the Gotei 13." With that lieutenant Sasakibe handed Ichigo his personalized Shihakusho set, which contained a white shitagi, black kosode, a black hakama, a white hakama-himo, a pair of white socks and matching sandals. He inspected the Shihakusho and saw that the inside of the hakama had a symbol of the lily of the valley embossed on it. Ichigo wondered what that stood for. His answer came when Kyoraku continued to speak.

"It is my honour to further decree that Kurosaki Ichigo is from henceforth the third seat of the 5th division," said Kyoraku. He handed the scroll to Sasakibe.

"Huh, I'm being assigned to the 5th, as a 3rd seat?" asked Ichigo. Kyoraku nodded.

"The fifth division was the division hit hardest by the defection and subsequent arrest of Aizen Sousuke, as you might expect. As such, it is currently very short on skilled recruits and officers. Someone with your level of combat experience is just what that division needs," said Kyoraku.

"You'll also be pleased to know that both the captain and lieutenant of the division are old friends of yours. I'm sure you'll get along with them nicely," said Urahara with a smile.

* * *

Ichigo was skeptical of Urahara's words as he changed into the Shihakusho for the first time. Despite having worn a variation of the uniform when he was a Substitute Shinigami, he still felt a bit uncomfortable putting it on. When he was fully dressed Ichigo hung the scabbard of his Zanpakuto upon the sash around his waist.

Ichigo exited the change rooms of the 1st division, having already returned his Academy uniform to Urahara. He Shunpo-ed across Seireitei until he reached the front entrance of the 5th division barracks. Having never seen the exterior or interior of a division barracks except the brief time he was in the 11th division barracks, Ichigo was amazed at the lavishly decorated façade. He stared at the two iron gates and saw that they were etched with the lily of the valley symbol.

With no division member outside, Ichigo decided to knock on the gates. He knocked on them three times, each knock making a clang that echoed through the surrounding area. There was no response for about ten seconds. Ichigo decided to knock three times again.

"That's strange. There's no one answering," said Ichigo. "Maybe there really isn't anyone here." But then the gates opened and before Ichigo could react he received a powerful kick in the nose that sent him flying in a nearby wall. As he flopped to the ground Ichigo heard an annoying female voice.

"Well, if it isn't the baldy!" said the voice. "I haven't seen you in a long time!" A still dizzy Ichigo glanced up and saw the figure of Sarugaki Hiyori. She hadn't changed in appearance since he last saw her more than six years ago, except for the fact she was dressed in the black Shihakusho and had an armband around her left arm.

"Huh, you're the 5th division lieutenant Hiyori-san?" asked Ichigo. "Then who is the captain."

"Oh, he's coming right now. You're going to be shocked when you see his face," Hiyori grinned. Ichigo watched as another figure appeared beside Hiyori. This time Ichigo's eyes widened in utter astonishment.

"S, Shinji?" he exclaimed. The former leader of the Visoreds was wearing a long sleeved captain's haori over a standard Shihakusho. His hair had grown past his shoulders, but otherwise he looked completely identical in appearance.

"Welcome to the 5th division, Ichigo-san," said Shinji with a smile.

* * *

Notes: The Academy Arc concludes with this chapter, as Ichigo finally becomes a full fledged Shinigami. And yes some familiar faces make their return. Ikkaku is there just so he and Ichigo can have a rematch of their fight in the SS arc. As for Kenpachi-well he's more in the guise as the embodiment of Ichigo's own killer instinct. If they actually fought, Kenpachi would obviously kill Ichigo in a single hit. :P

But I guess the two most notable characters making their return are Shinji and Hiyori. As to why they're back in the Gotei 13, and are captain and lieutenant of the 5th division no less, all of that will be revealed next chapter.


	15. Chapter 15: Traitor Hunt

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 15 Traitor Hunt

"Huh, you're the 5th division captain?" asked Ichigo. He still couldn't believe his eyes. Shinji and Hiyori, two of the Visoreds who had helped him control his inner hollow so many years before, were now back in the Gotei 13 as captain and lieutenant respectively.

"Surprised Ichigo?" Shinji grinned, showing Ichigo his weird teeth. "I bet you didn't expect to see us here." He helped Ichigo get back up.

"How come you and Hiyori-san are part of the Gotei 13 again?" asked Ichigo.

"Ah, now that's a story to tell. But we'd better come inside first," replied Shinji. "We'll discuss it as we head down to my office." Shinji and Hiyori invited Ichigo inside the division barracks. The three of them started walking along the grounds of the barracks, bypassing many of the division's dormitories as they did so.

"So, you want to know why Hiyori and I are Shinigami again? Well, the story isn't that interesting," said Shinigami. "Basically, after those Central 46 guys discovered that all the shit that's happened in the last 120 years in Soul Society was due to the machinations of Aizen, all of us Visoreds, along with Urahara, Yoruichi and Tessai, were pardoned and given an opportunity to return to the Gotei 13. We initially felt like staying in Karakura Town but then old Yamamoto gave us an offer we couldn't refuse. He told us that if stayed in Karakura Town, all of our powers had to be sealed, whereas if we went back to Soul Society we'd get to keep our powers."

"Even your hollowfication powers?" asked Ichigo. Shinji nodded.

"After we returned to Seireitei, old Yamamoto offered to reinstate Rose, Kensei and I to our former positions."

"Your former positions? Does this mean you were once a captain before?" asked Ichigo.

"Yup, about 110 years ago. That was before Aizen backstabbed me and forced me and the other Visoreds to hide in the world of the living," said Shinji with a smile. "Lisa, Mashiro and Hachi have had their former positions restored too. Love was promoted as 8th division captain when Kyoraku-san replaced old Yamamoto, and I chose Hiyori-san as my lieutenant when the former lieutenant Hinamori-kun was transferred to the 10th division."

"Uh-huh, I get it now," said Ichigo. He continued following Shinji and Hiyori through the grounds of the 5th division barracks. Shinji directed Ichigo to some of the barracks' most notable features. They stopped in front of a huge library full of stacks and stacks of books.

"This is the division's library. Outside the Daireishokairo, or Great Spirit Archive, this is the largest library in the whole of Soul Society," said Shinji. "Apparently Aizen must gathered hundreds of thousands of books during his time as a captain." In addition to the massive library, Shinji showed Ichigo the barracks' training quarters, a tranquil lily garden in the middle of the barracks, and a rather lavish change rooms full of tons of spare Shihakushos and other outfits.

"This is my favourite room," said Shinji. "I used to wear fabulous clothes when I was previously a captain and when I got reinstated I requested that such a room be built."

"Heh, Shinji-san spends more time doing dress-up than I do," said Hiyori with a chuckle. Hiyori's joke made Shinji angry.

"You don't have time to be making smart comments at me Hiyori. You were supposed to supervise our newest rookies. I have no doubt they're still waiting for to give them orders."

"Bah, those runts are absolutely useless! Why do I have to be the one in charge of them?" asked Hiyori as she stomped off on her own. Ichigo found the whole situation amusing.

"Never mind Hiyori-san. We might bicker a lot but the two of us have a wonderful relationship."

"Ah, yeah, I would certainly agree," laughed Ichigo. He followed Shinji all the way into the captain's office. Shinji directed Ichigo to sit on the chair opposite the captain's desk. Ichigo watched as Shinji shuffled a pile of documents out of the way before he sat down on the chair opposite Ichigo.

"Now then Ichigo, I know you're new to the Gotei 13 and this division in particular and all, but I sincerely request a favour from you," said Shinji in an uncharacteristically serious tone.

"What kind of favour is it?" asked Ichigo.

"You see, after I was reinstated as captain and Hiyori as my lieutenant, we found the entire division was in shambles. After Aizen was defeated, the new Central 46 had ordered his former subordinates to re-swear their allegiance to Soul Society. Nearly half of the division refused, including all of the seated officers from the 10th seat and above."

"What, half the division was still loyal to Aizen?"

"Yeah, Hiyori and I were shocked too. Apparently Aizen must have either hypnotized them all, or indoctrinated them somehow so that all of the division members became fanatically loyal only to him alone. After some inquiry, I discovered that during the Arrancar War, the division's senior officers were still covertly working for Aizen. In fact, because the former lieutenant Hinamori-chan was incapacitated for most of the time, those senior officers still loyal to Aizen were basically running the division."

"So what you do about these Aizen supporters?" asked Ichigo.

"Well, I tried to talk some sense into them, but when that failed the Central 46 ordered all of them to be imprisoned inside the Maggot's Nest."

'The Maggot's Nest? What is that?"

"It's a prison located in the heart of the 2nd division barracks, guarded by the Detention Unit of the Onimitsukido. It is the place where all Shinigami who are deemed to represent a potential threat to Soul Society are imprisoned. That can include traitors, subversive individuals, and deserters. Given that the Aizen fanatics of the 5th division included men answering to all of these labels, neither I nor the Central 46 had any hesitation to have them all imprisoned there. Unfortunately, things didn't go according to plan."

"Let me guess, before you could send them all to this Maggot's Nest, most of them escaped your clutches," said Ichigo.

"That's a very good deduction Ichigo-san," said Shinji. "Well, the majority of the senior officers chose to give themselves up, but all of the lower ranking fanatics fled from Seireitei and went to hide out in the vast expanses of Rukongai. Some decided to lay low whilst a few others took over entire districts and made them their own personal fiefdoms. The warlord you defeated, Dialgos, was once a member of the 5th division, albeit a lowly unranked one."

"What, Dialgos was a 5th division member too?" Ichigo couldn't believe it.

"The detention unit has managed to recapture many of the deserters but there are still a lot more left, including those senior officers who didn't give themselves up. Most of these are generally too dangerous for the detention unit to handle, so Hiyori and I have volunteered to hunt these traitors down ourselves." From the tone of Shinji's words so far Ichigo could guess the favour Shinji wanted of him.

"Um, am I correct in saying you want me to help the two of you to hunt down these traitors?" he asked. Shinji nodded with gratitude.

"Yes. A week ago I received intelligence from the patrol corps of the Onimitsukido about the largest single concentration of 5th division deserters so far. Among the deserters were almost all of the remaining senior officers uncounted for. Captain Soifon offered to send some of her elite Executive Militia to hunt them down but I insisted that it was my responsibility. But I have to admit before I learnt that you were to be assigned to this division, Hiyori and I were hard pressed to get any of our loyal members to join us in an assault against the deserters. But now that you are here, I think the three of us should be more than enough to handle them. What do you think Ichigo-san?"

"Sounds good Hirako-san," said Ichigo.

* * *

And so less than three days after becoming an officer of the 5th division, Ichigo found himself outside the White Way Gate alongside Shinji and Hiyori.

"Hiyori, what are the coordinates for this place again?" asked Shinji.

"3018, 4123, district 75 of Nishi Rukongai," replied Hiyori. "You should have memorized it already. I don't like having to kiss your ass all the time."

"Whatever," Shinji brushed Hiyori's insult off. "Let's go." After ensuring they had enough supplies in their sash bag to last for at least five days, the three of them headed off, flash stepping through Rukongai at great speeds. They Shunpo-ed throughout the day, only taking brief breaks at a time to recharge their energy for a bit. By night fall they had covered more than four hundred miles and were three quarters of the way to their target. Picking a spot in a secluded area of a forest, Shinji decided to set up a miniature camp. As they ate from their rations, the three most senior officers of the 5th division chatted about various casual matters.

"So Ichigo, what did you get up to in the real world during the past six years?" asked Shinji.

"Well, it took me about two years to complete high school, and then I graduated to Tokyo University," said Ichigo. His eyes darkened. "But after studying for about a year or so I was forced to cancel my degree. My good for nothing father left the house one day and for the next two years after that I had to look after my sisters. I gained qualifications as a doctor just so I could continue the family business. But unfortunately all of that came to an end less than a year ago, when my sisters and I were all killed and our bodies eaten by a hollow."

"Man, you sure had a rather sucky time," said Hiyori.

"So your father disappeared about three years ago huh? And you say he hasn't come back since?" asked Shinji. Ichigo nodded. "Hmm, that sounds suspicious. Old Yamamoto retired around about the same time too. Maybe the two events are linked, or perhaps they're just co-incidences."

"I think you're reading too much into baldy's words Shinji," Hiyori laughed.

They packed up the camp early next morning and set out on foot again. In order to conserve energy and to not alert possible sentries to their approach, Shinji ordered Hiyori and Ichigo to suppress their reiatsu as much as possible and switch to fast running instead. After about two hours they were within three miles of the target destination.

"Alright, let's resort to slow and steady walking from now on. Keep to the shadows as much as possible," said Shinji. "We do not want to give away our presence." Ichigo followed Shinji and Hiyori's lead and started tiptoeing through the thick foliage.

Little did the trio know that even at that moment they were being watched shadowy figures. One such figure ducked down into a hole as soon as he saw them approach. Shinji, Hiyori and Ichigo continued to creep forwards. After about half an hour of advancing through forest they finally reach an expansive clearing. In the middle of the clearing was a large four storey fortress, made out of white stone. The surroundings around the tower reeked of hollow reiatsu.

"What is this place?" asked Ichigo.

"I think this was one of the research facilities Aizen used in his experiments, when he was still my lieutenant," replied Shinji.

"Huh, Aizen was experimenting before he became a captain?"

"Of course he was. How do you think he managed to create the gas that gave Hiyori and hollowfication? Anyway, most of these research facilities were either abandoned or burnt down by the Patrol Corps. I had no idea that one of such size still existed." Hiyori got out her Danreishinki and scanned the idea.

"No signs of spiritual presences in the vicinity. I think the coast is clear," she said.

"Let's move then," ordered Shinji. The three of them crept towards the front door of the building. Shinji inspected the door and found that it was locked from the inside, with no way to force entry from the outside.

"This must be a remote controlled door," said Shinji. "We'll have to find some way to force it open."

"Heh, leave the break in entry to me!" boasted Hiyori. She unsheathed her Zanpakuto and held it in front of her. "Chop cleanly, _Kubikiri Orochi_!" Her sword transformed into a cleaver with serrated edges. A few seconds after the release the serrated edges started vibrating back and forth, turning the cleaver into a chainsaw. Using both of her hands Hiyori used her released Zanpakuto penetrate the surface of the door and proceeded to cut upwards, then across and down again so that she created a smaller doorway within the larger door. When the cut was done, Hiyori kicked at the door hard. The piece that she cut toppled backwards, revealing a hole large enough for all three of them to walk through.

As Ichigo entered the hole, he looked around and saw the interior was quite similar to the desolate underground passages of Las Noches.

"This place looks like it was built by Aizen. It looks a lot like Las Noches," said Ichigo.

"You may be right. Perhaps this is where Aizen got his inspiration from," said Shinji.

* * *

As the trio started walking down the corridor, they were being watched by cameras hidden in the ceiling. Furthermore the sentries who had spotted them earlier were now delivering their report to the mysterious individuals who controlled this fortress.

Inside a large monitor room high up in the fourth four of the fortress, a man with short spiky blue hair and a blue goatee leaned back against a chair. He wore a white kosode paired with a white hakama and had a broken iron chair hanging around his wrists. His eyes were closed, the only sign of movement from him was the cigar that was hanging out of his mouth.

Just then his peaceful nap was disrupted as two figures burst into the room. The blue haired man almost fell off his chair. He quickly recovered and faced the two figures who had interrupted his nap.

"How dare you disturb my sleep?" said the man. "You'd better have something important to tell me!" The two figures, one of them a woman with long purple hair and a man with very short red hair, both wearing white robes, got onto their hands and knees.

"We apologize for the disruption, Saiga-san, but our hideout has just been infiltrated by Gotei 13 pursuers," said the woman.

"Are you sure about that Ko?" asked the man called Saiga. He turned to look at the monitors. Sure enough he saw three figures advancing slowly along the entrance corridor.

"Well, well, it seems your report was correct. We have been infiltrated by those stinkin' Gotei 13 scum." Just then, another person entered the monitor room. He was a tall and lean man with scraggy black hair that stretched down to his shoulders. He wore a strange hat upon his head, but was otherwise dressed the same as Saiga.

"What are you guys doing, Saiga-san?" asked the man.

"Oh, you finally decided to get your ass off that bed of yours, Musa?" asked Saiga. "Take a look at this." He pointed to the monitor. Musa looked at the figures on the screen for a second. Then a smirk appeared on his face.

"We've hit the jackpot guys. Our former boss himself and his little bitch have finally found this place," said the man called Musa. "Let's give them a welcoming reception."

"Hey check out the third guy who's running behind them, the guy with the orange hair," said the woman called Ko. "He looks new." When Saiga had a detailed look at the man with the orange hair, his eyes widened in surprise.

"I know him! He's the brat who defeated our beloved Aizen Taicho!" exclaimed Saiga.

"He is? Then we'd better capture him per our captain's instructions," said Musa. He was about to unsheathe his sword when Saiga grabbed his hand.

"That brat is mine Musa. If you lay a blade on him, I'll kill you." Musa snorted as he unsheathed his sword.

"Fine then, do as you wish. But I get to take on Hirako Taicho," said Musa. He turned to look at the other two people in the room. "Bo, Ko, I want you two to mobilize our comrades! Order them to lure the three deep into the fortress and have them split up. After that go eliminate the annoying girl!"

"Yes Musa-san!" shouted the man named Bo and the woman called Ko. They dashed out of the monitor room. Musa glanced at the monitor again.

"Well then, it seems like it is time we execute Aizen Taicho's last request," said Musa. Saiga nodded. He turned off the monitors and followed Musa out of the room.

* * *

Shinji, Hiyori and Ichigo continued to advance cautiously through the fortress. To their puzzlement they had not encountered a single enemy so far.

"This is strange. Our soul messenger phones detect a huge concentration of reiatsu inside this fortress but we haven't bumped into a single traitor," said Shinji.

"Maybe our phones are broken. I told you they needed to be replaced," said Hiyori.

"Or maybe, they knew we were coming and decided to flee the fortress before we arrived," said Ichigo.

"That's a distinct possibility, although if that were to be the case, I'd be seriously pissed," said Shinji. Mere moments after he finished those words, the three of them were suddenly surrounded by nearly forty men wielding Zanpakutos. Each of them was dressed in a white kosode and hakama, the standard attire for all Maggots Nest prisoners.

"Heh, how fortunate we are. The guys we were chasing hadn't run away after all," said Hiyori with a smirk. "They were just hiding, waiting to spring an ambush like this." Ichigo looked around and noticed that they were in middle of a large circular room with multiple stairs and passageways leading away from it. _No wonder they were able to surround us_, he thought.

"Remember, our goal is to capture these deserters, not kill them," said Shinji as he unsheathed his sword. "Just use enough force to knock them all out." Ichigo and Hiyori also unsheathed their swords. They stood their ground as the deserters charged at them, brandishing their swords above their heads.

The deserters stood no chance against three officer class Shinigami such caliber. Shinji, Hiyori and Ichigo methodically went around knocking each deserter out with the flat side of their blades against each deserter's neck. They even managed to knock out a few of the deserters with their bare hands and legs. When more than half the deserters had been knocked out, the remaining bunch decided to flee in terror.

"Shit they're running away!" exclaimed Shinji. He saw the deserters dash off down different sets of stairs and passageways.

"They've split themselves up. It's going to take us ages to search this fortress," said Hiyori.

"We'll have to split up ourselves. Hiyori, you take the middle path. Ichigo, you head down those flights of stairs. I'll take the flight of stairs going up. If any of us run into trouble, we should contact each other through our phones. You've got that?"

Ichigo and Hiyori nodded, and headed down the directions Shinji had ordered. Hiyori kept on running through the corridor at the opposite side of the circular room. Ichigo ran down a flight of stairs to the left. Finally Shinji ran up the flight of stairs on the right. None of them had any clue that they had already walked into a trap…

* * *

Notes: The start of this chapter hopefully answers the questions posed by several reviewers regarding the status of the Vizards. As for questions regarding whether Ichigo's hollow powers, I will make it clear now that his hollow powers will not be returning. Ichigo lost all of his hollow powers after he defeated Aizen, and I have no intention of bringing them back.

This chapter also answers another question that has been unresolved since the end of chapter 13, and that is the true identity of Dialgos. I hope his real identity won't dissappoint a lot of readers.


	16. Chapter 16: Intent to Kill

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 16 Intent to Kill

"Damned rascals!" Hiyori swore as she knocked out another deserter with the flat side of her sword. "I wish Shinji could have allowed us to kill them. It's going to be a pain in the ass to haul them all back to Seireitei." She continued running down the corridor for some time before she found herself entering into a wide open area. The ceiling became twice as high as it was before, and beyond a series of transparent glass windows Hiyori could see a vast rolling plain of grass and forest.

"I didn't know this place was perched against a cliff," said Hiyori. She looked around and saw that the entire area was a dead on. "Shit, where do I go now?" She was about to head back the other way when she suddenly heard two voices nearby.

"Ha, ha, ha, look what we have here, it's the little blonde bitch," laughed a male voice.

"I can't believe how easily she fell into our trap," said a female voice.

"Who is it? Who's out there?" asked Hiyori, looking around desperately for the source of the two voices.

"What's the matter girl? Can't track us down?" asked the female voice. "Then perhaps we should show ourselves." A second later, two large explosions occurred in the ceiling above. Hiyori looked up and saw two figures drop down from the ceiling and land on the floor. When she took a good look at them Hiyori realized who they were.

"It's you two! The Boko siblings!" exclaimed Hiyori.

"We dislike being called by that term, lieutenant Hiyori," said the purple haired woman called Ko.

"We're still pissed off that a girl like you was promoted as lieutenant of our division,' said the red haired man called Bo.

"Heh, that's pretty brave talk coming from a pair of unranked Shinigami," said Hiyori. "All of those years of service in the 5th division and you still couldn't get yourselves promoted."

"Shut up! We didn't get promoted because we lacked the necessary strength!" shouted Ko. "But now Aizen Taicho has granted us power!" Hiyori became confused as soon as they mentioned Aizen's name.

"What do you mean captain Aizen gave you power? He's been locked in the 8th underground dungeon Avici for the past six years," said Hiyori.

"Lies! Aizen Taicho would never get himself captured!" shouted Bo. "Come Nee-san, let's kill this bitch in the name of Aizen Taicho!" Ko nodded. The two of them unsheathed their swords and faced Hiyori.

"Are you guys seriously going to fight me? The last time I saw you, the two of you didn't even know your Zanpakutos' names," said Hiyori. At this both Bo and Ko smirked.

"You underestimate us lieutenant. You haven't seen us in more than five years. Do you know how much we've changed during this time?" asked Ko. "Let's show her our new Zanpakuto Bo!" Hiyori watched as the two siblings got themselves into battle stances. Bo started twirling his Zanpakuto in a circular motion.

"Whirl, _Hirahuda_!" he shouted. His Zanpakuto transformed into a whip seemingly made out of swirling tornado. At the end of the whip was a large beak-like tip. The winds created by the tornado buffeted the room.

"Rip, _Golondrina_!" shouted Ko. Her Zanpakuto also changed into a long prehensile whip, which was attached to a huge spinning blade shaped like a yoyo. Hiyori stared at the two Shikais and wondered how both of them could have acquired such powerful swords. _Shit, I can't fight them without using my shikai as well_, thought Hiyori.

"Chop cleanly, _Kubikiri Orochi_," she chanted as she released her Zanpakuto, turning it into a cleaver like chainsaw. She braced herself as Ko and Bo attacked. Bo flung his whip forward, and Hiyori barely dodged the beak-like tip which opened up in an attempt to bite her on the head. As she jumped into the air Hiyori became vulnerable to Ko's attack. Hiyori raised her chainsaw blade to block the rapidly spinning yoyo blade. The two blades caused sparks to generate as they collided together. As Hiyori blocked Ko's Zanpakuto, she inadvertently left herself open for Bo to launch another attack. This time the beak-like tip nipped Hiyori in the cheek, sending her crashing into a wall.

Hiyori managed to get up again quickly, her right face now dripping with blood from a rather deep cut. _Man, these two are tough_, she thought.

"Let's attack together nee-san, she's just about finished!" exclaimed Bo. He flung his whip at Hiyori again. Hiyori jumped up again, but this time Ko managed to get behind her. The rapidly spinning yoyo blade struck Hiyori in the back. Hiyori screamed in pain as the blade tore through her skin, before the force of the impact sent Hiyori crashing into another wall. This time it took a while for Hiyori to get up again. A large trickle of blood flowed down her back, and Hiyori was now panting heavily. _If this keeps up, they might actually kill me_, thought Hiyori. _I guess I have no choice but to use my trump card_. She placed her left hand over her forehead.

"Huh, what are you doing?" asked Ko. "Is that a sign that you're giving up?"

"Hell no," Hiyori grinned. "I'm going to kill you both in the most brutal fashion." With that Hiyori donned her hollow mask. Her reiatsu spiked dramatically, and her eyes turned black with yellow irises as a result of the hollowfication. Ko and Bo were both shocked at the sight of Hiyori's mask, shaped like a human skull except for a large horn protruding from the centre of her forehead.

"What is that?" asked Bo. "Her spiritual pressure's massively increased!" Neither he nor Ko had time to make a response, for within moments of donning the mask Hiyori struck. She flash stepped behind Bo and sliced him from the shoulders all the down to his waist. Bo's body literally split in half, splattering blood everywhere as he fell.

"Bo!" cried Ko in despair. "How dare you kill my brother!" In a rage she recklessly attacked Hiyori with her Zanpakuto. Hiyori easily avoided the spinning blade and sliced through Ko's waist, cutting her in half. A huge amount of blood and guts splattered everywhere.

"No…way," groaned Ko as her eyes rolled up into her head. As both of them fell onto the floor dead, their body parts strewn everywhere, Hiyori surveyed the carnage she had caused. She removed her hollow mask and resealed her Zanpakuto.

"Phew, I can't believe it took me that much effort just to defeat this two," said Hiyori. "Shinji's going to be mad when he finds out that I killed them."

* * *

Shinji proceeded up the final flight of stairs to reach the very top level of the fortress. Along the way he had knocked out ten more deserters, although he was forced to kill one of the deserters when he put up some determined resistance. He ran down a corridor, passing several empty rooms, until he reached a large, oval shaped room that provided a stunning view of the forest and grasslands below thanks to a set of transparent glass panels.

Shinji's focus however, was drawn to the man sitting down in a red leather recliner. Like the other deserters Shinji had encountered, this man was dressed in a white kosode and white hakama. His black hair and white duffle cap made Shinji instantly recognise him.

"So, you're Kurobari Musa," said Shinji. "Our former 10th seat. The man called Musa grinned.

"Not anymore. I refuse to serve under a prick like you. Aizen Taicho was twice the man you'll ever be," said Musa in an insulting tone towards Shinji.

"Heh, it's a pity that your beloved captain Aizen is now half the man he once was. He's now nothing but a pathetic worm locked up in the lowest underground dungeon."

"Lies! Aizen Taicho would never get himself imprisoned like that! He came and spoke to me not so long ago!" The tone of Musa's voice was fiery and combative. He got onto his feet and unsheathed the sword hanging by his sword. "I'm going to kill you Hirako Shinji, for insulting Aizen Taicho's name!"

Shinji braced himself as he saw Musa charge at him. He calmly sidestepped Musa's sword thrust and dodged the follow up swing.

"How sad, to be still under the thrall of your former master's illusion when he himself no longer poses a threat," said Shinji.

"I am under no illusion!" shouted Musa. He slashed at Shinji again, only for the 5th division captain to jump back several paces. Musa held his sword above his head.

"I'll show you the power Aizen Taicho's given me. Pray, _Santa Teresa_!" shouted Musa. His Zanpakuto grew in size and changed shape. The pommel of the sword grew into a five foot long shaft. The blade portion transformed two crescent moon shaped blades connected together. The overall appearance of the released Zanpakuto was that of a giant four pronged scythe.

"Hmm, that's quite an unusual Zanpakuto shape," commented Shinji. "There is also something strange about its reiatsu."

"Shut up!" shouted Musa, who held the scythe's shaft with two hands and swung it down hard. Shinji dodged the attack by jumping to the side. Musa raised the scythe again and this time swung it in a huge horizontal arc, aiming to slice Shinji in half. Shinji simply jumped up.

"Geez, it's a pain having to fight you in such a cramped room," said Shinji. He placed his left hand against the ceiling and shouted "_Raikoho_!" A blast of yellow spiritual energy tore a hole through the roof, allowing Shinji to jump into the air. Musa jumped into the air after him and proceeded to swing the giant scythe at Shinji several times.

"Why won't you just die already?" asked Musa in frustration, as Shinji continued to dodge all of his attacks.

"This is starting to get boring. I don't have time to be playing with you," said Shinji. He started spinning his Zanpakuto in a circle. "Collapse, _Sakanade_." The pommel of his sword transformed into a large ring that allowed Shinji to spin it around without using his hands. The blade itself changed shape slightly and grew five holes along its length.

"Huh, is that your Zanpakuto release?" asked Musa. "It's barely changed at all!" Shinji was amused by Musa's words. Clearly the other man had no clue of the real effect of his Zanpakuto. The physical change was only secondary to the actual change in his Zanpakuto, as the blade emitted a faint cloud of pink dust that drifted towards Musa's face.

"Seems like you haven't noticed anything," said Shinji. "Even if you did notice, it's too late to escape the effects of my shikai. You're now trapped in the Inverted World."

Musa wondered what Shinji was saying, but he soon understood when all of a sudden he saw Shinji upside down.

"What the hell? What did you do to my senses?" he asked. Shinji grinned.

"I've inverted your senses. My Zanpakuto can alter the directions that your eyes take in visual information," said Shinji. With that he upped the inverted world effect and now his back appeared to be turned around. Musa seized the apparent opportunity to strike and quickly slashed down at Shinji's seemingly exposed back with his scythe. The scythe appeared to strike Shinji but Musa's eyes widened in shock when he realized he had simply struck thin air. He didn't have time to turn around, for a blade was at his neck a second later.

"I suggest you surrender yourself quietly," said Shinji. "If you do I'll spare your life. If you swear your allegiance to me I might even consider asking the Central 46 to remove their sentence upon you." Shinji waited for Musa's response but the traitor took only a moment to decide before he started laughing.

"You've got to be joking. There's no way I or any of my nakama would turn our backs on Aizen Taicho," said Musa. "And there's no way you'll get any of us to submit meekly. We'd rather die than turn ourselves in!" Musa started laughing in an insane manner but his laughter was cut short when Shinji stabbed his sword right through Musa's neck.

"Geez, my offer was really generous," said Shinji with a sigh. "You were a fool to reject it." He removed his sword from Musa's neck. The retraction of the blade caused Musa's head to be separated from his body. The two pieces of the deserter fell to the floor below, as Shinji resealed his Zanpakuto.

"I'd better help Hiyori and Ichigo. If every single one of these deserters is going to fight to the death, then they're going to have their hands full," said Shinji.

* * *

Ichigo knocked out another deserter with the flat end of his sword as he ran down the final flight of stairs to the basement floor of the fortress. He looked around and saw numerous crates, barrels and chests.

"This is must be a storage area," said Ichigo. He started running down a corridor that led away from the stairs. As he ran, he saw more crates and barrels, and wondered what was stored in them. He didn't have time ponder that question for long, for he soon found himself entering into a vast underground chamber. Unlike the previous area, this chamber contained numerous disused water tanks. When Ichigo examined one of the tanks up close, his eyes widened with disgust. Lying suspended inside the tank was a grossly disfigured corpse, which was half covered with an icky white substance. Ichigo glanced at the other tanks sand saw more corpses suspended inside them.

"This must be where Aizen kept his leftover hollowfication experiments," said Ichigo.

"A prescient observation," said another voice that echoed through the underground chamber. Ichigo was startled from his gazing at the tanks, and he frantically looked around for the source of the voice. Eventually his eyes saw a figure approaching him. As it drew nearer the figure was revealed to be a man with short blue hair, a goatee and wearing a white kosode and hakama like the other 5th division deserters.

"So, you're the man who defeated Aizen Taicho," said the man. "Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Huh? How do you know my name?" asked Ichigo. "And who are you anyway?"

"Of course, you've never met me before. I am the former 8th seat of the 5th division, Aosuki Saiga." The man unsheathed his sword. "Aizen Taicho has asked me to apprehend you and bring you to him, but he has said that if you prove troublesome I am allowed to kill you."

"Wait a minute; did you say you were instructed by Aizen? How could that be? He's been locked up in a prison for the past six years!"

"Hmph, that's the official story, but we 5th division loyalists know better. Aizen Taicho is still out there, giving us commands. And he has commanded me to bring you to him, Kurosaki Ichigo." Before Ichigo could react, Saiga flash stepped past him. A large slash appeared along Ichigo's left arm. _Crap, he's got me by surprise_, thought Ichigo. He jumped backwards to avoid a second attack aimed at his face, and landed some twenty feet away from Saiga.

_Does this guy seriously think Aizen has spoken to him? He must be either delusional, or someone is masquerading as Aizen_, thought Ichigo. _I don't care either way. All I need to do is to defeat him_. Ichigo raised his sword above his head and swung it down, shouting "Pierce the Heavens, _Zangetsu_!" as he did so. With his Zanpakuto transformed into a large crescent cleaver, Ichigo decided to attack. He slashed at Saiga with a downward swing, aiming for his opponent's shoulder. Saiga blocked Ichigo's attack with his sword.

"Tell me Kurosaki Ichigo, what rank have you been promoted to? I know you are serving under the despicable Hirako Shinji," said Saiga.

"I've been newly promoted to 3rd seat of the 5th division," replied Ichigo.

"Third seat huh? I'm amazed at how an amateur could ascend to such a high rank." With that Saiga pushed Ichigo's blade away before launching a counter attack. Ichigo barely managed to dodge a thrust to his eye. Saiga continued his assault and his attacks were relentless. It took all of Ichigo's concentration to block each thrust and slash. _Shit, I'm being cornered by his fast attacks. I have to change the momentum somehow_, thought Ichigo. He decided to jump five feet to the left. Then, with his left hand on the hilt wrap, he threw _Zangetsu_ at Saiga. The attack caught Saiga off guard, and Ichigo seized the opening. Drawing a triangle in the air with his left hand, he chanted "Bakudo 30, _Shitotsu Sansen_!"

Three triangular spikes slammed into Saiga and impaled him against the right facing wall. Ichigo didn't stop there. He held _Zangetsu_ with his left hand for the moment and pointed his right hand at Saiga.

"Hado 31, _Shakkaho_!" shouted Ichigo. A red ball of energy hit Saiga, causing an explosion that destroyed two nearby tanks. The liquid inside the tanks gushed out, and the corpses that were inside the tanks flopped to the floor.

When the smoke cleared Ichigo saw that Saiga's body had been somewhat burnt by the blast. Saiga however seemed to be totally unaffected by his wounds. He gripped the yellow spikes off and walked towards Ichigo.

"That was a good strategy you had there kid," said Saiga. "However, there was absolutely no killing intent in that Hado at all. If you really wanted to kill me, you should have chosen something stronger. Allow me to show you what true killing intent is." Saiga held his sword in an Iado style stance, with his left hand over the blade.

"Grind, _Pantera_!" chanted Saiga. A cloud of steam obscured his body for a moment. When it dissipated, Ichigo could see that his sword had disappeared. In its place were two white armored gauntlets that covered his hands. Saiga raised the gauntlets up and with a motion produced a set of three sharp claws that protruded from the top of his knuckles.

"What kind of Zanpakuto is that?" Ichigo asked himself. He didn't have time to ponder anymore for Saiga suddenly charged at him with amazing speed. Before Ichigo knew what happened he was slashed across the chest by Saiga's extended claws. Blood spurted out and landed on the floor. Ichigo backed away a step as he tried to regain his composure. Saiga seized upon his moment of weakness and thrust his left gauntlet at Ichigo's face. Ichigo bent his body backwards to dodge the thrust. He then did a backflip, landed on his feet and jumped into the air to gain some space between himself and Saiga.

"You've let yourself wide open," said Saiga. He pointed his right gauntlet at Ichigo. A second later three missiles shot out from a hole at the top of the gauntlet. The missiles hit Ichigo before he had the chance to get away. They flew into the ceiling and detonated, causing an explosion so large that it ripped a hole all the way to the surface. Ichigo rode the impact of the explosion and landed on a patch of grass above ground. He panted heavily; the missiles had burnt his face and arms and torn off most of his outer kosode. His forehead was now stained by a large red bruise. Ichigo watched as Saiga jumped up from the ground below and confronted him.

"You're finished Kurosaki Ichigo," said Saiga. "The power that Aizen Taicho gave me is beyond your comprehension."

"A power Aizen gave you?" asked Ichigo. He glanced at Saiga's gauntlets and remembered the release command he had spoken. A sudden realization hit him. _Pantera…wasn't that Grimmjow's resurrecion? How the hell does this guy have it?_ Ichigo dismissed that thought from his mind. _I don't care how he got it. If this keeps up he's going to kill me. I have to fight him as if he's an enemy I have to kill_. As Saiga pointed his left gauntlet at Ichigo in order to fire another set of missiles, Ichigo raised _Zangetsu_ above his head. He went through in his mind the process and mindset required to activate his Zanpakuto's special ability, the _Getsuga Tensho_.

Without bothering to say its name, Ichigo unleashed his special attack as he swung his sword down. A crescent shaped beam of energy smashed into Saiga and cut through his left arm, tearing it from his shoulder blades. Saiga screamed in pain as blood spurted out of the gaping wound. His entire left arm landed beside his body. The gauntlet in his right arm disappeared, replaced by a broken Zanpakuto.

"You son of a bitch! I'm going to rip you to pieces for this!" screamed Saiga. Before Saiga could attack Ichigo, two figures suddenly appeared behind him. Ichigo was glad to see their faces.  
"Hirako-san, Hiyori-san!" exclaimed Ichigo. The captain and lieutenant of the 5th division moved to surround Saiga.

"8th seat Aosuki Saiga, huh," said Shinji. "It seems my 3rd seat has critically wounded you. You stand no chance against us. Give up peacefully and we won't have to kill you." Saiga glared at Shinji and Hiyori with murderous intent, but he knew he was completely outnumbered. In a last desperate attempt, he sheathed his Zanpakuto, before slamming his right hand against the ground.

"Bakudo 21, _Sekienton_!" shouted Saiga. Before Shinji, Hiyori or Ichigo could react, a large cloud of red smoke engulfed Saiga and completely obscured the vision of all three officers. By the time the smoke cleared, Saiga was nowhere to be seen.

"Shit, he managed to outsmart us," said Shinji. "We're never going to find him now." An enraged Hiyori gripped the collar of Ichigo's white undergarment.

"You baka! You let that guy escape!" shouted Hiyori. "If you were going to incapacitate him, then you should have at least cut off his legs or something. And just look at you! How the hell did you get yourself torn up like that? Did you even fight him seriously at all?"

"Hold it Hiyori," said Shinji. He made Hiyori release her grip on Ichigo's collar. Ichigo slumped onto his knees. He bowed his head in shame as his Zanpakuto returned to its sealed state.

"I'm sorry Hirako Taicho, Hiyori-san," said Ichigo. "I was…too distracted by my opponent's Zanpakuto release, and ended up letting him catch me off guard. I've let you both down terribly."

"Don't worry about it Ichigo," said Shinji. "You still did extremely well considering it's your first mission. Even if that guy got away, I doubt he'll be much of a threat with only one arm. Come on, we'd better call in the Executive Militia to clean up the mess we made inside the fortress. Once they've sorted things out, we can finally go home."

* * *

The Executive Militia took nearly two days to arrive at the fortress. During that time Shinji partially healed the injuries Hiyori and Ichigo had suffered, and somewhat repaired Ichigo's Shihakusho. Afterwards the three of them went inside the fortress again and dragged all of the deserters they had knocked out and placed on the grounds outside. They then bound the hands and feet of each deserter to ensure that none of them could escape if they regained unconsciousness.

When the Executive Militia finally appeared at the fortress, they were a tad displeased at having to deal with nearly forty unconscious bodies. Ichigo was surprised to see Captain Sui Feng leading the militia unit. He noticed that the 2nd division captain was missing her left arm.

"So these are all of the deserters you captured?" asked Sui Feng.

"Well, we had to kill about six or seven more deserters who put up some stern resistance," said Shinji. "Plus one of the deserters managed to flee our grasp."

"You let one of the deserters escape? That's very tardy of you Captain Hirako. Perhaps you should have taken more men with you," said Sui Feng with a smirk on her face. "Anyway, these prisoners here will be more than a handful for us to deal with. I'll have to call in the detention unit to have them all transported to the Maggot's Nest. In the meantime, your team is fee to return to Seireitei."

Shinji, Hiyori and Ichigo thanked Sui Feng for taking responsibility for the deserters. It took them nearly two days of Shunpo-ing to return to the gates of Seireitei, as they had to stop many times to give Hiyori and Ichigo the opportunity to recover their strength. When they finally returned to the 5th division barracks, Shinji, Hiyori and Ichigo went through a final phase of debriefing, where they each took stock of the successes and failures of the mission. They discussed the strange Zanpakuto that the most powerful of the deserters had wielded, with Shinji indicating he would consult with the other captains about the matter.

When the debriefing was concluded, Ichigo was allowed to retire to his room. His failure against Saiga still weighed heavily in his mind. _What am I lacking? Do I really lack intent to kill someone in cold blood?_ Ichigo brooded on this question for a long time, but he couldn't find an answer.

* * *

Notes: This chapter winds up the short 5th division traitor mini-arc. In anticipation of more questions, yes the four major deserters all possess Zanpakutos that belonged to the Espada. As to how they managed to acquire it, the mention of Aizen in this chapter gives a hint, but it's not going to involve Aizen himself-he's still imprisoned.


	17. Chapter 17: An Unexpected Homecoming

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 17 An Unexpected Homecoming

For the next two weeks after his return from the fortress mission, Ichigo finally got used to the environment and routine of the 5th division. He socialized with the other officers of the division but he still found it more natural to interact with Shinji and Hiyori. He followed them on two more missions into Rukongai in the hunt for the remaining 5th division deserters. Whilst neither mission was as difficult as the infiltration of the fortress, Ichigo was still plagued by his inability to ruthlessly kill a person he felt no hatred or disgust towards. As a result, whereas Shinji and Hiyori downed deserters with a single blow, it took Ichigo at least two or even three strikes to knock them out, as he somehow instinctively held back from dealing them decisive hits. At the end of each mission he was scolded by Hiyori for not doing his job properly. Though Shinji did not make any comments, Ichigo had a feeling that both of them were starting to see him as a liability on missions where execution was critical.

"What am I doing wrong?" Ichigo asked himself, as he sat on the steps outside his dormitory. Despite doing further training in his spare time, he still wasn't able to get around his lack of killing intent.

"You're looking so glum Ichigo," said a familiar voice from behind. Ichigo instantly snapped up in surprise. He turned around and saw Rukia standing behind him.

"Rukia! Why are you here?" asked Ichigo.

"I've come to visit you," said Rukia. "Since all Gotei 13 members have the next few days off, I thought it would be good to see you and check on how you're going. After all, I wasn't there to see your graduation ceremony."

"Oh right, I totally forgot about that. I've been too caught up with the business of the division," said Ichigo.

"I guess you must have a lot more responsibilities than an average 3rd seat officer huh? Kiyone and Sentaro barely do any work when my captain and I are around," said Rukia with a smile. She noticed the sad expression on Ichigo's face.

"Well, the paperwork isn't that hard. I've managed to complete my shifts well before the deadlines."

"Then why do you look like you've got the weight of the world on your shoulders?"

"I don't know, really," said Ichigo with a sigh. "Maybe it's because I've let my captain and lieutenant down on the three missions I've been on so far. I utterly failed in the first mission I did. I barely escaped with my life and I let a target get away. And on subsequent missions I couldn't dispatch enemies in one strike."

"Ah, I think I know what your problem is," said Rukia. "You don't have the resolve to kill an enemy unless it's to protect someone else's life or honour right?" Ichigo's eyes widened in surprise. Rukia had nailed his problem.

"How did you know about that?" he asked. Rukia grinned and placed her hands on Ichigo's shoulders.

"How long do you think I've known you Ichigo? I'm well aware of how you act," said Rukia. "Remember when you first became a Substitute Shinigami? You couldn't even kill an ordinary hollow right the first time. And the only times you've been utterly merciless against an enemy is when they've endangered the lives of your friends and family." Ichigo was forced to admit that Rukia knew him better than almost anyone else. He could hide aspects of himself from other people, but there was no way he could hide things from Rukia.

"You got me there Rukia. My biggest weakness is that I can't kill someone I don't have hatred or anger towards," said Ichigo. "The only reason I even killed all of those men in Rukongai was so that I could protect Yuzu and Karin. Hell, I couldn't even kill Dialgos properly during the two times I fought him. I don't know how to solve it. It's not something like fear that I can just overcome with confidence in myself." Rukia pondered Ichigo's dilemma for a moment, before a bright idea came to her head.

"Ichigo, I think I know just how to solve your problem," she said.

A few hours later Ichigo found himself in a disused warehouse along with Rukia. She had regularly used this place to train by herself when she was not on duty. Ichigo also thought it was a good place to train.

"Now then Ichigo, I want you to come at me. If you can even draw a single drop of blood from me, then you'll go a long way in resolving your lack of killing intent," said Rukia.

"Wait Rukia. Are you seriously going to fight me?" asked Ichigo. He saw her unsheathe her sword from its scabbard.

"Of course, this is a sparring session isn't it? Don't think you can go easy on me. I'm far stronger now than I was six years ago." Ichigo unsheathed his sword with some hesitation. He had to admit that Rukia's solution was pretty good. Rukia would be the last person in the world other than his sisters that he would have wanted to draw his sword against. The thought of actually hurting Rukia made his stomach churn. _Man, this isn't going to be easy at all_, thought Ichigo.

Before Ichigo had time to get into a stance, Rukia flash stepped towards him and thrust her sword at his face. Ichigo barely managed to block the attack and the force of Rukia's blow pushed him backwards.

"Whoa, hold on a second Rukia. This is just a sparring session right? So why were you aiming for my face?" asked Ichigo.

"Isn't it obvious? The face is the weakest part of an opponent's body," said Rukia. "It's also the place where you are assured of delivering a killing blow. That's something all Gotei 13 officers should know. If you're going to cut me Ichigo, you're gonna have to attack me as if you aim to kill me. For I'm going to do the same to you!" With that Rukia flash stepped behind Ichigo and slashed at his neck. Ichigo quickly turned around and blocked Rukia's attack. Rukia didn't let up her attack and pushed Ichigo back with a non-stop succession of attacks.

"What's the matter Ichigo? You're not going to win simply by being defensive," said Rukia. _She's right_, thought Ichigo. _I'm once again letting my opponent dictate the terms of the battle. I have to make sure the fight is on my terms_!

After blocking a downward swing from Rukia, Ichigo finally pushed her back. He then pointed his left hand at Rukia and chanted "Bakudo 30, _Shitotsu Sansen_!" Three triangular spikes hit Rukia and impaled her against a wall.

"I've got you now Rukia," said Ichigo with confidence. He flash stepped towards her, aiming to cut her across the cheek. But before he could get close to her Rukia broke out of the binding spell and flash stepped behind Ichigo.

"That was a good move Ichigo, but you failed to seize the opportunity," said Rukia. She pointed her left hand at Ichigo and chanted "Bakudo 61, _Rikujokorou_." Ichigo was impaled in the waist by six rectangular rods of light. He panicked when he realized he couldn't move his legs. A second later he felt the touch of a sword point against the back of his neck.

"You lose Ichigo," said Rukia with a smile. "Had I been serious you would have been dead at this moment." Rukia lowered her sword and undid the binding spell on Ichigo. Ichigo blushed in embarrassment. He had been thoroughly defeated by Rukia, and she hadn't even been fighting seriously.

"Man I can't believe it. You're definitely stronger than I am right now. Had we been using our Shikais, it would have been even more embarrassing for me," said Ichigo.

"Well perhaps not. You do have a killer attack move when you use your Shikai," said Rukia. "And had you instantly attacked me after you immobilized me with the _Shitotsu Sansen_, you would have won. I must say you've really improved in your skills and tactics. If we had fought when you were a Substitute Shinigami, you'd have just rushed at me or kept on using your Shikai's special ability."

"Yeah well, I guess that's just how I fought back then," said Ichigo. "And I got away with it because I could draw upon a large source of spiritual energy. Now I don't have that luxury anymore, so I can't afford to be careless."

Rukia was impressed by Ichigo's maturity. She didn't expect him to be so honest about himself. The two of them unsheathed their swords and left the warehouse.

"Hey Ichigo, since we still have two or three days of leave, why don't we visit your sisters?" asked Rukia.

"That's a great idea. I haven't seen them in ages. They probably don't know I've become a full time officer yet," said Ichigo.

After being given permission by their respective captains, Ichigo and Rukia were allowed to leave Seireitei through the White Way gate. As they walked through the mains street of Junrinan, the two of them sensed something was strange about the place.

"Ichigo, there's something different about this place," said Rukia. "The people here seem much less lively than the last time we were here." Ichigo nodded.

"They all look frightened. Something must have happened here," said Ichigo. When the two of them neared Kukaku's house, their eyes widened in utter shock and disbelief. Where the house was supposed to be, there was now nothing but a smoldering pile of ruins and ash.

"What the fuck happened here?" asked Ichigo.

"Someone's…burnt down the house," said Rukia. In a panic they ran into the ruins of the house. They searched through every nook and cranny of the house but to their dismay they couldn't find any trace of Karin, Yuzu, Kukaku or Ganju at all.

"They're all gone," said Rukia in disbelief. "Something must have happened to them."

"No! Karin, Yuzu! They can't be dead!" screamed Ichigo. He refused to consider the worst possible scenario. Just then they heard a groan coming from under a pile of rubble. Ichigo and Rukia hastily lifted up as much rubble as they could, and were astounded to see the figure of Ganju. His body had been horribly burnt but he was still alive.

"Ganju, are you okay?" asked Ichigo. He and Rukia dragged Ganju out of the rubble and placed him on his back against a wall.

"Ichigo-san, Rukia-san, I'm glad the two of you came in time," said Ganju in a weak voice.

"What happened to Ichigo's sisters and Kukaku?" asked Rukia. Ganju sighed deeply.

"They've been kidnapped, by a group of men armed with katanas," said Ganju.

"What, how? When did this happen?" asked Ichigo.

"Alright, I'll tell you everything. It all happened about two days ago…" And so Ganju began his recollection of the horrible events that occurred two nights before.

* * *

_Two days prior…_

"We're home!" shouted Karin and Yuzu. They had returned from their daily shifts as house cleaners, their pockets full to the brim with money. When they entered the front door of the house they were greeted by Kukaku.

"Oh you're both home early," said Kukaku. "How much money have you girls pocketed today?" Karin and Yuzu took all of the coins in their pockets and showed it to Kukaku.

"Wow, that's easily a hundred dollars there. Man you girls have really earned a lot. If this keeps up the two of you could become millionaires."

"Aw, you flatter us Aunt Kukaku," laughed Yuzu. The two sisters changed out of their work clothes before they started helping Kukaku make the dinner time meal. About half an hour later Ganju returned, carrying a large bag over his shoulders.

"Yo sis, I'm back!" shouted Ganju.

"Oh, you've returned so quickly?" asked Kukaku. "How much money did you make in the underground betting ring this time?" Ganju grinned. He dropped his bag on the table and out came more than a dozen one hundred dollar notes. Kukaku's eyes widened in amazement.

"Take a look at that sis. Nearly two thousand bucks worth of cold hard cash," said Ganju. "Won it fair and square from a rather shady guy too."

"A shady guy?" asked Kukaku. She started sifting through the case.

"Well he did look a bit suspicious. He had spiky blue hair and a goatee. And he had a prosthetic arm, just like you," said Ganju.

"You should be careful with who you deal with Ganju. You're lucky that the cash is all genuine. He could have slipped you counterfeit money." Kukaku ordered Ganju to stash the money in their family safe. Another half hour later, the dinner was ready and Kukaku and Ganju sat around the table with Karin and Yuzu. As they ate they talked about various matters.

"Um, Aunt Kukaku, have you heard any news about Onii-chan yet?" asked Yuzu.

"No I haven't Yuzu-chan," said Kukaku. "The last time I heard he was sent to the real world as part of the Academy's training exercise.

"But that was more than a month ago," said Karin. "He could at least send us a telegram or something."

"Well, perhaps he's been too busy to send you girls a letter. But don't worry about. I'm sure he'll come visit you soon," said Kukaku.

Just then they heard a knock upon the front door.

"Huh, who could be knocking at such a late hour?" asked Kukaku.

"Could it be Onii-chan?" asked Yuzu excitedly.

"I'll go and check," said Ganju. He got up and went to the front door. When he opened it his eyes widened in shock. It was the _same_ guy he had won the stash of money from. And what was more, he was accompanied by two other people.

"You! Why are you here?" asked Ganju.

"None of your business," said the man. Before Ganju could react the man placed his mechanical left arm on his chest and fired a red ball of energy.

The resulting explosion rocked the entire house. Yuzu and Karin screamed in panic. A second later Kukaku saw Ganju crash land against a wall, with a nasty wound on his chest.

"Ganju! What happened?" asked Kukaku.

"Watch out Nee-san, there are three of them," said Ganju. Kukaku turned around and saw the people at the door. There was a man at the front with blue hair and a goatee. Standing by his side were two women. One had light green hair, the other hand short dark hair. All three were carrying swords.

"Shiba Kukaku, eh," said the man with the goatee. Kukaku tensed. She didn't have her sword or her explosives with her at the moment. _I can't afford to fight them right now_, she thought.

"How do you know my name?" she asked the blue haired man.

"It's common knowledge that the Shiba family was banished from Seireitei more than forty years ago. And it only took us a little searching to know your identities and the place you lived."

"Huh? How were you able to find the location of our house?" Kukaku saw the man point to Ganju. The realization dawned upon her. _The cash must have been bugged_, she thought.

"Judging by your face, you must also have realized it. I deliberately let that buffoon win so that I could hand him the money. Hidden amongst the cash was a signaling device. We simply followed it here," said the man. Kukaku cursed Ganju's incompetence, but it was too late to scold him now. She turned to Karin and Yuzu.

"Karin! Yuzu! Run to the back door of the house! I'll try to hold off these men!" shouted Kukaku. Yuzu was hesitant to move but Karin quickly complied. She grabbed her sister's arm and the two of them ran towards the rear of the house. Kukaku tried to stall the three intruders but a savage punch to the gut by the man with the goatee followed by a subsequent karate chop to the neck knocked Kukaku unconscious.

"Don't let the two girls escape!" shouted the blue haired man. The woman with the short black hair did several flash steps and overtook Karin and Yuzu. Out of desperation Karin pushed Yuzu to the side and tried to attack the woman. But the woman dodged Karin's attack and jabbed Karin's neck with a tranquilizer needle.

"You bitch…" croaked Karin as she blacked out.

"Karin-nii!" cried Yuzu. She rushed to her sister's side, but that left her wide open for the black haired woman to knock out with another tranquilizer to her neck. The woman dragged the two girls to the front of the house. She handed Yuzu to the woman with light green hair. The three intruders lifted the unconscious forms of Kukaku, Karin and Yuzu over their shoulders.

"Before we leave, we must set fire to this house," said the man. They each got out a small tin of gasoline and started pouring the contents onto the floor. As they were doing so Ganju regained consciousness. When he saw what was happening he struggled to his feet and charged at them.

"Let go of Nee-san and Ichigo's sisters!" screamed Ganju. His desperate rescue attempt was cut short when the blue haired man kicked him hard in the chest again. Ganju was sent flying backwards and crashed into a storage closet.

"Alright, the gasoline has been poured. Light the fires!" ordered the blue haired man. The two women threw two matches onto the gasoline. In an instant a fire started in the dining room. The three intruders left the house as the fire spread rapidly. Ganju, still barely awake, saw them leave the house. He didn't have the strength to get up anymore and he knew that he would be toast if the flames got him. In a last desperate effort he used his sand magic to cause the ceiling of the storage closet to cave in on top of him. His last waking thoughts were about Kukaku, Karin and Yuzu…

* * *

"And there you have it," said Ganju as he finished his recollection of those awful events. "I count myself damn lucky that I managed to survive the resulting inferno. The local fire fighters came to put out the fire two hours afterwards but they couldn't find the traces of anyone, so they assumed that we all perished."

"So no one knows where Karin, Yuzu and Kukaku have been taken?" asked Ichigo.

"Not quite." Ganju, having been partially healed by Rukia whilst he was telling his recollection, got out an object that looked like a miniature Danreishinki.

"This is a tracking device that Kukaku used to monitor my progress when I went with you to Soul Society to save Rukia-chan," said Ganju. "Before those crooks left I was able to put a small homing beacon upon Nee-san. You can use it to track them down."

"Thanks for the help Ganju-san," said Rukia. "We'll promise you that we'll get Kukaku-san, Karin-chan and Yuzu-chan back."

"Are you you'll be alright if we left you like this?" asked Ichigo.

"I'll be fine. Just take care of yourselves," said Ganju with a smile. "And come back here alive once you find them."

"I will Ganju-san."

* * *

Notes: This chapter marks the beginning of a four chapter mini arc, centred around the Ichigo, his sisters and the Shiba Family. To anticipate questions, the guy who abducts Kukaku, Karin and Yuzu is the same guy who fought Ichigo and fled at the end of the last chapter. He'll be showing up again, along with several new faces.

The fight between Ichigo and Rukia at the start of the chapter was primarily to show that Ichigo still hasn't regained the power he once had, and to show how just how strong Rukia has gotten. It probably does have a secondary purpose of being a very intimate IchiRukia moment.


	18. Chapter 18: Awakening of the Sisters

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 18 Awakening of the Sisters

Karin slowly opened her eyes. For what seemed like an eternity her mind her had been drifting in a sea of blackness. Now, as she regained consciousness, she found herself lying on the floor of a dark and dank cell. Her entire body seemed numb for some reason but she willed herself to sit upright.

"Where, am I?" she asked as she looked around. "The last thing I remember was seeing Aunt Kukaku fend off three intruders who had attacked our house, and being jabbed by some sort of needle." Her eyes fell upon the still unconscious bodies of her sister and Kukaku. Karin panicked, afraid that both of them were already dead. She crawled beside Yuzu and Kukaku and found that both of them were still breathing, albeit laboriously. Knowing that both of them were alive, Karin tried to get both of them to wake up. After numerous attempts at nudging their faces Karin succeeded in making Yuzu open her eyes.

"Huh, Karin-nii?" asked Yuzu.

"I'm here Yuzu-chan," said Karin. Yuzu looked around the cell as she sat upright.

"Where are we? What happened to us?"

"We were both tranquilized by some sort of needle. I have no idea where we are, or how much time has passed by."

"If we're inside this cell, then someone must have kidnapped us," said Yuzu. She stared at Kukaku's body. "Aunt Kukaku hasn't woken up yet." Karin nodded.

"I tried to force her awake but I simply couldn't," admitted Karin. "Maybe she is in a deeper state of unconsciousness than we were."

Just then, they heard footsteps approaching their cell. A few seconds later Karin and Yuzu saw a face appear at the door. It was the same man who had attacked Ganju and Kukaku, the one with the spiky blue hair and goatee.

"So you two brats are awake," said the man. "I thought the shinten would have a much longer effect."  
"Who are you? Why have you taken us here?" asked Karin in a strong voice.

"There is no need for me to introduce myself to you," said the man with an evil smirk. "As for why you have been brought here, well shouldn't it be obvious. You three are all hostages. We kidnapped you to ensure that a certain target will come here." As soon as he mentioned the word 'target', an image of Ichigo instantly flashed in Karin's mind.

"You can't be serious! Are we simply baits to attract Onii-chan's attention?"

"Of course. Your brother is one of our master's most important targets. Unfortunately for us, attacking him directly would be far too dangerous, as not only would we have to infiltrate Seireitei, but we would also have to confront the high level officers of the Gotei 13. It would be much easier to lure him to one of the outer districts of Rukongai. And, when he finally comes here to rescue you, he'll stumble into the trap we have set for him."

"So this whole place…is just a trap for Onii-chan?" asked Yuzu. "Then what about us? Are you going to keep us alive until he comes here?" The man grinned evilly.

"That's our intention, but I have no qualms in making you three suffer a bit. I can't wait to see Kurosaki Ichigo's face when he sees the torment we've inflicted upon you."

With that the man walked away from the front of the cell.

"What should we do Karin-nee? We're going to rot in this cell if we stay here," said Yuzu.

"I know that. But we can't simply leave. That man we just saw, he might be monitoring us," said Karin. "Plus, we'll have to wait till Aunt Kukaku regains consciousness."

For a long while, neither of them spoke. They were still traumatized by the events they've went through and their current predicament.

"I'm scared Karin-nee," said Yuzu. "I want Onii-chan to rescue us."

"That's what these kidnappers are hoping for," Karin reminded Yuzu. "But I hope he comes as well. He's come to our rescue many times in the past. I'm sure once he finds out we've been kidnapped he'll come looking for us."

* * *

"I've got a positive reading on the signal," said Rukia.

"That's good news. We must be close to them now," said Ichigo. They had been running through the districts of Rukongai for the past two days. After Ganju gave them his tracking device, Ichigo and Rukia went back to Seireitei and got permission from their division captains to set out on a mission to rescue Kukaku and Ichigo's sisters. Afterwards they started their search, following the homing beacon's signal. After the first day of searching they noticed the beacon had stopped moving. It had stopped in the middle of the 69th district of Rukongai.

They arrived in the outskirts of the district a day later. The beacon's signal got stronger and led them towards another town of substantial size. Now they were in the middle of that town, trying to ascertain the exact location of the signal. They strolled through a busy street and made inquiries to the occupants of many of the houses they passed, but none of the townsfolk knew anything about Karin, Yuzu, or Kukaku.

"This is no good Ichigo," said Rukia as she placed the tracking signal in her pocket. "The beacon's signal covers too wide an area for us to pinpoint its precise location. And, because the device's screen is two dimensional, we won't be able to tell whether they're above or below ground. We might to search through every single house in this town if we're to find any information your sisters or Kukaku's whereabouts."

"I don't think we need to do that," said Ichigo. "I have a much better way."

"Huh? You do?" Rukia was puzzled by Ichigo's words. She then saw him extend out his right hand.

"I'm going to track down my sisters' spiritual pressures. Both of them are quite familiar to me, especially Karin's. Her reiatsu should be strong enough that even you could pick it up."

"Really? Let me try too then." Rukia also extended out her right arm. The two of them began to sort through the various spiritual threads that went past them. As they expected, the majority of the town's inhabitants possessed no spiritual pressure at all, so they sensed at most ten or spiritual threads. Of those ten, seven of them appeared to be coming from the same direction. That was as far as Rukia went in terms of reiatsu detection. But Ichigo got one step further. He recognised the distinctive signature on one of the spirit threads and knew who it belonged to. _Karin's reiatsu_, _she's still alive_, thought Ichigo.

"I've found them Rukia," said Ichigo. "They're in that direction." He pointed down the road.

"Then let's follow them. I think they're with several other spiritual pressures. Those might be the people who kidnapped them," said Rukia. Ichigo nodded. The two of them followed the spirit threads and saw that they trailed off in the direction of a hill. When they got to the top of the hill they found a small disused shack. Rukia opened the door to the shack and found nothing but an empty room inside

"It can't be!" exclaimed Rukia. "The spirit threads somehow end here. If they're not here then where could they be?"

"Wait a second Rukia, I think something's off with this 'shack', "said Ichigo. He knocked on the surface of the floor. The sound he got was hollow rather solid.

"What did you Ichigo?" asked Rukia as Ichigo stood up.

"Just as I thought, this shack is a fake. I bet underneath this floor is a hole," said Ichigo.

"Let me see then." Rukia pointed her hands at the floor and fired a miniature _Soukatsui_. The small blue ball of energy blew up a two foot wide hole in the ground. Rukia stared at the hole and saw that it went down quite deep. She also noticed a hand rail about a feet below the surface.

"Your instincts were spot on Ichigo," said Rukia. "There is a shaft here that goes down pretty far. I bet your sisters and Kukaku-san are being held down there."

"Then let's go for it," said Ichigo. The two of them jumped down the hole.

* * *

Karin and Yuzu's faces brightened when they finally saw Kukaku's eyes open.

"Ugh, what happened to me?" asked Kukaku groggily.

"You're awake Aunt Kukaku!" exclaimed Yuzu. Kukaku looked around and saw that they were in a cell.

"Where are we Yuzu, Karin?"

"I'm not quite sure," said Karin. "As far as I know we've been down in this cell for the last three days. Yuzu and I woke up two days ago, but you were still unconscious."

"I was out cold for that long?" Kukaku couldn't believe it.

"We were so worried about you Aunt Kukaku," said Yuzu. "There were some moments when we thought you were in a coma." Kukaku struggled to sit upright.

"So the three of us have been kidnapped huh," said Kukaku. "I could understand why someone would kidnap you two girls, but hell if I know why they'd take an old bitch like me."

"Um, Aunt Kukaku, I think I heard one of the kidnappers, the guy with the goatee, say that they were waiting for Onii-chan to find us and when they do they're going to set a trap for them," said Karin. Kukaku's eyes widened in surprise when she heard Karin's words.

"I see, so that's their goal. We're simply bait to lure your brother here huh? I bet they're going to ambush him."

"What should we do Aunt Kukaku? We haven't been given any food at all for the past three days," said Yuzu. "That nasty man said he was going to make us suffer."

"Is that so? Well, then there's no point in staying in this cell and wait for your brother. He might not be able to find us so easily." Kukaku stood up and walked to the front of the cell. She examined the metal bars with her right hand.

"Just as I thought, these bars aren't very durable," said Kukaku.

"What are you intending to do Aunt Kukaku?" asked Karin. She and Yuzu watched as Kukaku mumbled something incoherent as she moved her right hand in a circle. Then before their eyes the metal bars in front of them turned into sand and dissolved.

"Wow how did you do that Aunt Kukaku?" asked Yuzu.

"_Seppa_, it's a special type of Kido, called Earth Magic, that's unique to the Shiba family. Ganju knows how to do this do, although not as good as I can," Kukaku explained. "Let's get moving. I don't know how good this place's security system is but they are bound to notice that we've escaped. We don't want to be around when the alarm is raised." Karin and Yuzu nodded. After they stepped out of the cell they followed behind Kukaku. The three of them walked down an aisle before they reached a flight of stairs. As they went down the stairs they spotted three strange looking guys walking _up_ the stairs. They wore helmets shaped like skulls and their body motions seemed stiff and rigid.

"Oh no, we've been spotted!" exclaimed Kukaku. The three strange guys saw them at the same moment. All three reacted in the exact same fashion.

"Alert, alert, prisoner escape, prisoner escape!" shouted all three of the men in unison.

"What are these guys? They look and act like robots," said Karin.

"Never mind who they are, we'd better kill them before they sound the alarm!" shouted Kukaku. She rushed down the stairs as fast she could and caught up to the closest of these strange men. With her good hand she punched the man in the head. The man's skull cracked up and he toppled onto the ground. A second later the man's entire body vanished. Kukaku didn't have time to think about this strange occurrence, for the other two men were getting away from her. Using a single Shunpo to cover the distance, Kukaku slammed into the back of the second man and hit him hard in the head. The man also vanished a second later. However in the time it took for Kukaku to finish him off the third man had already disappeared.

"Shit! I wasted too much time! There's no way I can catch up to him now!" swore Kukaku in frustration. She turned to Karin and Yuzu, who were running up to her.

"Karin, Yuzu, let's run back the way we came. That strange man I missed is definitely going to raise the alarm," said Kukaku.

"We understand Aunt Kukaku," said Karin and Yuzu. The sisters followed Kukaku back up the stairs. When they got to the previous level they ran as fast as they could down the aisle. Just when they were about to reach a flight of stairs that went up Kukaku suddenly lost her balance and fell over.

"What's wrong Aunt Kukaku?" asked Yuzu. Karin's eyes widened when she saw a black dart protruding from Kukaku's back. She examined it closely and realized it was poisoned.

"Aunt Kukaku!" exclaimed Karin.

"Run…Karin-chan, Yuzu-chan," croaked Kukaku. "Save your…selves."

"No! We're not going to leave you behind!" With deft care Karin slowly removed the dart from Kukaku's back. As she did so a green liquid spurted out from Kukaku's back. Yuzu freaked out and Karin desperately tried to stem the flow. After several attempts she decided to rip off pieces from her kosode and wrapped it around Kukaku's back.

"You brats sure are persistent," said a female voice from behind. Karin and Yuzu turned around and saw a woman with short black hair at the front, with a pony tail at the back. Their eyes widened in shock. It was the _same_ woman who had tranquilized them.

"What did you do to Aunt Kukaku?" asked Yuzu.

"You want to know? Fine then, I'll tell you," said the woman with a smirk on her face. "I am Atashi Liko, former member of the 5th division. And this is my Zanpakuto." Karin and Yuzu gasped when they saw her hold up a white centipede-like creature that seemed to cover her right hand.

"I call it _Escolopendra_," said Liko. "It shoots out miniature darts from its mouth. One hit from these darts and the victim gets subjected to a deadly poison. That old cow who helped you escape, she's going to expire pretty soon."

"No, it can't be," cried Yuzu. Tears started streaming down her face.

"Don't be sad little girl. I'll send both of you to join her when she dies. I'll make it extra painful for the two of you." Liko held her Zanpakuto to her mouth and licked the top of the creature's head. She then proceeded to advance towards Karin and Yuzu. Yuzu placed herself over Kukaku's body in despair. Karin however, had remained silent ever since Liko had introduced herself. Her mind was a raging mass of emotions and confused thoughts, but eventually one came to take precedence: the overwhelming desire for _revenge_.

Just as Liko approached within ten feet, she sensed a sudden spike in spiritual pressure.

"What's this enormous reiatsu?" asked Liko. She got her answer a second later when Karin's entire body glowed a bright red.

"Yuzu, take care of Aunt Kukaku," said Karin as she stood up.

"What about you? Where are you going to do Karin-nee?" asked Yuzu. Karin didn't respond. Instead she walked towards Liko.

"You're not seriously thinking of fighting me are you?" asked Liko. When she saw Karin get within five feet of her she panicked. In a knee jerk reaction she fired another black dart from her creature hand. To her utter astonishment Karin took a step to the side and let the dart fly past her.

"How could you dodge it? A mere girl like you?" asked Liko in disbelief.

"I'm far from a mere girl," said Karin. Using her newfound powers she created a ball of pure red spirit energy in her right hand. "For hurting Aunt Kukaku, I'm going to make you suffer!" With that, Karin dropped the energy ball to the ground and then kicked it with her right foot. The ball slammed into Liko's face and exploded. Liko was sent flying backwards for twenty feet before she landed with a skid on the floor. Her entire face had been disfigured by the blast, and blood was dripping from her broken nose.

"You bitch! You've ruined my beautiful face!" screamed Liko. "I'm going to get you for this!" She staggered onto her feet again and fired another black dart at Karin. Karin dodged the dart again and formed a much larger red energy ball, before dropping it to the ground and kicking it. The ball slammed into Liko's waist. It tore right through her body before it hit a wall and exploded, creating hole several foot wide.

"I…can't believe this. A mere…girl…defeated me," croaked Liko. She fell onto her back. Her eyes gradually rolled up into her head. A huge pool of blood formed beneath her.

Karin examined the scene in a state of exhaustion and shock. The experience of awakening her spiritual powers strained her body. The realization she had actually killed someone terrified her. She fell onto her knees and started crying.

"Karin-nee!" exclaimed Yuzu. She was about to run over to her, but she decided it was more important to take care of Kukaku. Kukaku's body was losing its colour, a sign that her blood was losing circulation.

"Don't give in Aunt Kukaku," cried Yuzu. She felt despair at her inability to do anything for her. _Why, why am I so helpless? Karin-nee was able to defeat that woman with her awakened spiritual powers, but I can't even treat Aunt Kukaku. I'm…so useless!_ Just then, something awakened inside Yuzu's heart. She felt her surge of energy rush through her body. A second later her hands started glowing a bright yellow. Yuzu couldn't believe her eyes. _Is this my spiritual power?_ She wondered.

Yuzu placed her hands on Kukaku's back and to her amazement the energy from her palms flowed into Kukaku's body. Slowly at first, but then with gradually increasing speed, Yuzu felt Kukaku's condition improve. The poison that had been secreted into her blood was dissolved by Yuzu's spirit energy. After a minute or so Kukaku opened her eyes again.

"What is this…sensation?" asked Kukaku. "It feels like my body is being healed." She looked up and saw Yuzu crouched down beside her.

"It's going to be alright Aunt Kukaku. I'm going to take care of you," said Yuzu.

"Yuzu-chan…you're able to heal people now?" Kukaku couldn't believe it. The poison that had ravaged her body mere moments before was now completely gone. Soon even the wound she got closed up. After two minutes Yuzu stopped healing Kukaku as the latter was able to get onto her feet. Kukaku's eyes fell upon Karin, before she saw the bloody corpse of a woman lying at the opposite end of the aisle.

"What the hell happened here?" asked Kukaku. She went over to Karin and checked on her. Karin was still sobbing uncontrollably.

"What's wrong Karin-chan?" asked Kukaku.

"I…killed someone, using my spiritual powers," cried Karin. "I'm a murderer!" Kukaku glanced over at the dead woman again. She saw a gaping hole in the woman's waist.

"There, there, don't cry Karin-chan. You have nothing to be ashamed of. What you did was an act of self defence, and a very courageous one at that. You risked your life to protect me and your sister. If your brother was here to see you, he'd be immensely proud of you."

"Oh Aunt Kukaku," Karin burst into even more tears. Kukaku her hugged arms around her. Yuzu went beside them and also hugged Karin. For a while the three of them crouched in the aisle, feeling complete joy at their survival.

"Come on girls. We'd better get a move on," said Kukaku as she stood up. "Other people are bound to come after us." Karin and Yuzu followed her up the stairs. When they got to the top of the stairs they found themselves staring at large chamber full of columns. At the very opposite end of the chamber was a long, straight flight of stairs that seemed to end in a bright light.

"Aunt Kukaku, I see light at the end of those stairs!" exclaimed Yuzu.

"That must be the exit the surface," said Kukaku. "Come on girls, we're almost there!" The three of them ran as fast they could through the chamber.

Just when they were about to reach the stairs their path was blocked when a man suddenly appeared in front of them. Kukaku, Karin and Yuzu all recognised him. It was the man with the spiky blue hair, goatee and the prosthetic left arm. Before the three of them could think about turning back they were surrounded from behind by a woman with light green hair.

"Where do you think you bitches are going?" asked the blue haired man.

"Saiga-san, I think we should kill them," said the woman.

"Nah, leave them alive for the moment. We can cut off some of their limbs so they can't escape. Then, when Kurosaki Ichigo comes, he'll have the pleasure of watching his beloved ones die before his own eyes!" The blue haired man started laughing madly.

"You monster," said Kukaku in disgust. Karin and Yuzu tensed when they saw the green-haired woman draw a sword and advance towards them. Before the two enemies could close in upon the three, the floor beside them all suddenly exploded outwards, knocking both assailants off balance. When the dust cleared, Kukaku, Karin and Yuzu saw two familiar figures standing in front of them. Both were instantly recognizable. As soon as they saw their faces Karin and Yuzu's eyes were filled with tears of emotion.

"Onii-chan! Rukia-san" they shouted in unison. Ichigo, dressed in black robes and holding a massive crescent cleaver, looked at his sisters.

"Sorry we took so long to find you guys," said Ichigo with a smile.

* * *

Notes: Those readers who wanted Karin and Yuzu to have a bigger role in a story, well, this chapter is their shining moment. I gave them powers that I thought fitted their personalities, so Karin is able to create an energy ball that she kicks like a soccer ball, and Yuzu is able to heal.


	19. Chapter 19: The United Front

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 19 The United Front

"We've missed you Onii-chan!" cried Yuzu.

"I know," said Ichigo. "We can save the sweat talk for later." He glanced at the two enemies who had been temporarily stunned by he and Rukia's dramatic entrance. One of them was familiar to him, a man with spiky blue hair and a goatee. _Saiga_, thought Ichigo.

"Rukia, can you lead Kukaku, Karin and Yuzu up those stairs?" asked Ichigo.

"What are you going to do?" asked Rukia in response.

"The two bad guys we stunned when we smashed through the floor are going to get up soon. I'm going to fight them both when they do."

"Are you crazy? You're going to get killed if you fight them in a two on one battle!"

"I'm not planning to risk my life. If they both attack me, I'll just stall them until you get the girls to the surface. If one of them ends up chasing after you, then you've got one less problem to worry about. Besides, I owe that blue haired guy a rematch." Rukia considered Ichigo's strategy. She had to concede it was a good one. Divide and conquer, draw your enemy's focus and make them overlook the real objective.

"Very well Ichigo, I'll do it. Just make sure you don't get yourself into trouble. If you can make the girl come after me, then all the better," said Rukia. With that Rukia led Kukaku and Ichigo's sisters up the stairs.

About half a minute later both Saiga and the green haired girl got onto their feet.

"What the fuck just happened?" asked Saiga. He then saw the figure of Ichigo and froze in shock, before his mouth contorted into a grin.

"I praise the fates, for us to meet again Kurosaki Ichigo." Saiga turned to the green haired woman. "Naru-san, go after those three prisoners! I want them brought back here! Kill the other Shinigami that's accompany them!" The woman called Naru sulked for a moment.

"Tch, fine I'll do it," she said grumpily. "You owe me a favour when I come back!" Saiga and Ichigo watched as she flash-stepped up the stairs.

"This is a surprise. You're not going to stop her?" asked Saiga.

"I have no need to. Rukia's more than capable of handling that woman," said Ichigo.

"Is that so? Perhaps you place too much trust in her. Even if she succeeds in defeating Naru, she won't be able to escape me. I'll gut you right here and then I'll chase after them and rip them to shreds." Saiga unsheathed his sword and licked the blade with his tongue.

"You're not going anywhere. I'm going to finish you right here and now," said Ichigo. He held his released Zanpakuto in his hand.

"Let's do this," said Saiga. He held his sword so that it was beside his body and touched the blade with his left hand. He then shouted "Grind, _Pantera_!"

* * *

"Hurry up you girls!" called Rukia. She was running behind Kukaku, Karin and Yuzu, in order to ensure that none of the three fell behind, but also to guard against any potential attackers from the rear. Because they were already exhausted from their jail cell breakout, Kukaku, Karin Yuzu all struggled to move any faster than a brisk walk. Rukia was concerned that they could be overtaken.

Her fears were realized when, just as they reached the top of the stairs and saw a long tunnel to the exit; they heard a voice from behind.

"Hold it right there!" shouted a female voice. Rukia turned around and saw it was the green haired woman. She stopped in her tracks but let the others get about twenty yards in front.

"Kukaku, Karin, Yuzu, stay right there," said Rukia. "I'm going to deal with this lady." She unsheathed her sword and faced the green haired woman.

"So, you're planning to stall me and let those three get away huh? I, Shizuka Naru of the 5th division, won't allow you to do that!" shouted the green haired woman.

"And how are you going to prevent me?" asked Rukia in a sly comment.

"By killing you of course!" The woman called Naru unsheathed her sword and held it horizontal to her body. "Declare, _Gamuza_!" A bright shining light enveloped her body, obscuring her from Rukia's sight. When the light cleared the sword that had been in Naru's arms was now a six foot double bladed lance. Rukia was intrigued by the strange shape. Her observation of Naru made her slow to react when Naru swung the lance above her head a few times, held it in her right hand and then, with a battle cry, threw the lance towards Rukia.

"Shit!" swore Rukia. She ducked just before the lance hit her directly in the face. She realized her mistake a second later when she saw the lance fly past her towards Karin and Yuzu.

"Ha, ha, ha, this is a bonus! Saiga-san said I had to bring those whores back, but I'm sure he won't mind if I kill them!" laughed Naru. Rukia doubled back and ran after the lance. When she knew she couldn't catch up to it in time she tried one last desperate option. She pointed her sword in the direction of Karin and Yuzu and chanted "Bakudo 81, _Danku_." A moment later an invisible wall made out of Kido suddenly appeared behind Karin and Yuzu. The lance hit the wall, bounced off it and fell to the ground.

"Impossible! How did you stop my lance!" screamed Naru. Rukia was both relieved and pleased that she was able to pull off a binding spell of that magnitude. _My practice with that spell finally paid off_, she thought. She grinned her face at Naru.

"You want to know the trick? I simply cast a Bakudo 81 _Danku_ right in front of them. I knew your lance was propelled by a spell of some sort," explained Rukia. "I also knew it was nowhere strong enough to break _Danku_'s barrier. With those two observations all I had to do was to successfully cast the barrier and your lance would be stopped in its tracks."

Rukia's explanation made Naru furious. The green haired woman couldn't accept that her Zanpakuto's ability had been so easily nullified.

"That was just pure luck! When I get my lance back I'll hit you this time for sure!" shouted Naru. She charged at Rukia in a rage. Rukia continued to grin. Her opponent had presented her with the easiest of openings. She pointed her left index finger at Naru.

"You've left yourself wide open," said Rukia. "Bakudo 61, _Rikujokorou_." A second later Naru's waist was impaled by six rectangular rods of light. She was completely immobilized. Naru struggled in vain to tear the rods off.

"Don't bother trying to break them off," said Rukia. "You're going to need a much higher level of spiritual pressure to overcome the Kido. And frankly, you're already a sitting duck." Naru watched with utter terror as Rukia held her sword in front of her, before spinning it in a circle.

"Dance, _Sode no Shirayuki_," chanted Rukia. Her Zanpakuto transformed in front of Naru's eyes into a sword of pure shining white, with a two foot long white tassel that extended from the sword's pommel. The blade, the guard and the hilt were all white in colour. The sight so mesmerized Naru that she completely lost sight of Rukia when the latter made a flash step. Rukia appeared behind Naru.

"Some no Mai, _Tsukishiro_!" shouted Rukia. With a wave of her Zanpakuto she summoned a white circle beneath Naru's feet. The circle shot out upwards into a white column that completely engulfed Naru's body. With a subsequent wave of her Zanpakuto, Rukia caused the column to shatter, causing her opponent's body to also break into dozens of tiny pieces.

"That was too easy," said Rukia as she resealed her Zanpakuto and placed it back into her scabbard. She caught up with Kukaku, Karin and Yuzu.

"That was amazing Rukia-san!" exclaimed Karin and Yuzu in excitement.

"Thanks for the compliment," said Rukia with a smile on her face. "Now then, let's get moving. We're almost near the exit."

"What about Ichigo? Is he going to be alright?" asked Kukaku.

"Of course he is. He's never lost whenever he's had to protect the lives of his beloved ones. I know he'll beat that guy with the goatee," said Rukia. Kukaku was pleased.

"Come on Karin and Yuzu! Daylight is just ahead!" Kukaku turned around and ran towards the light. Karin and Yuzu ran after her. Rukia thought about helping Ichigo for a moment, before she decided against it and Shunpo-ed to catch up to Karin and Yuzu.

The four girls emerged from the tunnel and found themselves in broad daylight again. Kukaku, Karin and Yuzu covered their eyes. After days spent in the darkness, it took them some time to get adjusted to the light.

"At last we're finally free," said Karin in relief. Her comment was premature however, for a few seconds later they were surrounded by nearly a dozen of the strange robot-like men that Kukaku, Karin and Yuzu had encountered before.

"What the hell are these?" asked Rukia as she unsheathed her sword again.

"These are my remote controlled drones," said a voice. A moment later a fat grubby man with a bald top and wearing a white kosode and hakama appeared. He was carrying a strangely shaped sword in his hands. It looked more like a large tree branch.

"Who are you?" asked Rukia. The fat man grinned evilly.

"I am Jubinjo, former 5th division member," said the man. "The drones are created by my Zanpakuto, _Arbola_. I can create an infinite number of drones at my command. Saiga-sama told me my role was to apprehend all escaped hostages and kill the people who aided them in escaping. I guess that makes you my enemy." Rukia quickly released her Zanpakuto, as she knew she wouldn't stand a chance with her bare sword alone.

"Fine then, I'll take you on, Jubinjo," said Rukia. "I'll defeat all of your drones by myself." Just as she was about to start fighting them, Karin and Yuzu walked beside her.

"You don't have to take them alone Rukia-san," said Karin. "We want to fight alongside you." Rukia was stunned by Karin's words.

"Huh? What do you mean you girls want to fight alongside me? You'll get yourselves killed." At this point Kukaku also stood beside Rukia.

"Don't underestimate these two girls," said Kukaku. "They awakened their spiritual powers in their attempt to protect my life. In doing so they succeeded in killing one of the abductors and restoring me to full health." Rukia was speechless for a moment, but then she smiled. Karin and Yuzu were both eager to fight.

"Fine then, you two can guard my flanks. Kukaku-san, you take the rear," said Rukia. "Let's deal with this bozo!" And so, the four of them began their battle against Jubinjo and his drones.

* * *

Down in the underground chamber, Ichigo continued his fight against Saiga. The two of them had been going at it for several minutes now, each of them attacking the other with their released Zanpakutos. Saiga's lethal claws and prosthetic arm upgrade was countered by Ichigo's greater self confidence and resolve. Using _Zangetsu_ both as a shield and as a make-shift flail, Ichigo had gradually forced Saiga back, as the blue haired man found it impossible to land a direct slash with his claws when Ichigo blocked every single attack with the flat end of his sword. The intensity of the battle had already caused the destruction of multiple columns.

"Damn you Kurosaki Ichigo!" swore Saiga. "You weren't this strong when we last fought!" He tried making another frontal charge and slash attack.

"That was because I didn't fight with intent to kill the first time around," said Ichigo as he parried Saiga away. Then he thrust _Zangetsu_ at Saiga and succeeded in jabbing the latter's chest. Saiga grimaced in pain and jumped back more than fifteen feet and hovered in the air. Blood trickled down his legs and dropped down to the floor below.

"You bastard," said Saiga as he breathed heavily. He pointed both his gauntlets at Ichigo. "Take this!" The top of his gauntlets opened up, releasing numerous small missiles that shot towards Ichigo. Having encountered before, Ichigo knew how to face them. With one large semicircular swing of his sword he cut through all of the missiles, causing them to explode harmlessly before they hit him. Saiga couldn't believe his eyes, and his whole body started shaking in fear of Ichigo.

"How did you stop all of those missiles? They should have all hit you!" Saiga exclaimed.

"Isn't it obvious? I've seen them so many times that I knew how they worked," said Ichigo. "Clearly these missiles are packed with the explosives at the front and the propulsion unit at the back. Separate the two of them and the missiles are rendered inert.

"I've answered your question. I think it is fitting you should answer one of mine. Just how did you get that Zanpakuto? The name of your Zanpakuto, its shape, and the missiles you fire, they all resemble the resurrecion of an Arrancar I once fought before. I believe his name was Grimmjow." When he heard Ichigo's words, Saiga started grinning evilly.

"Grimmjow…was he an arrancar with blue hair like mine, a broken hollow mask on the right side of his face, and a hollow hole in the middle of his waist?" asked Saiga.

"Yeah that's him," said Ichigo, confirming Saiga's description. His words caused Saiga to laugh madly.

"Ha, ha, ha, what a coincidence!" laughed Saiga. He grinned at Ichigo. "The Arrancar Grimmjow is dead. Aizen Taicho killed him and gave me his Zanpakuto! And now, let me show you the most powerful ability I've obtained from that dead Arrancar!" Saiga raised his gauntlets above his head and swung them down. In the process a series of five huge blue energy claws appeared from the front of each gauntlet. Saiga directed them at Ichigo.

"I call this technique _Desgarron_! These claws shall tear you to shreds!" shouted Saiga. Ichigo blocked two of the energy claws with the side edge of his Zanpakuto, but three other claws tore into both sides of his waist and his forehead. Ichigo ignored the pain. _So Grimmjow is dead huh_, thought Ichigo. _And this no-name traitor Shinigami is abusing his powers. What an insult to such an honorable opponent. Grimmjow was far stronger than this_. _Someone who desecrates his memory like this is trash, not worthy of living_.

With his mind made up, Ichigo decided it was time to end the battle. With an exertion of his reiatsu he shattered all of the blue energy claws that Saiga had fired.

"Impossible! There's no way you could have shattered those claws!" screamed Saiga in a rage. He tried to summon up another set of energy claws. Before he could do so Ichigo raised _Zangetsu _above his head.

"Saiga, for all of the hurt you've caused to my sisters and my friends, and for spitting on the grave of one of my former enemies, you don't deserve to live any longer," said Ichigo. He swung _Zangetsu_ in a downward arc, shouting "_Getsuga Tensho_!" as he did so. His Zanpakuto fired a massive crescent shaped blue energy blast that scythed though the middle of Saiga's body before exploding against the ceiling. An instant later, a massive geyser of blood spurted out of Saiga's body, as his entire torso had almost been split in half. Saiga fell to the ground, landing in a pool of his own blood.

"It's finished," said Ichigo. He was about to head for the stairs when he heard Saiga struggle to his feet again, despite his almost mortal wounds.

"This…isn't…over," croaked Saiga. The gauntlets around his hands disappeared and were replaced with a broken Asauchi blade. "I…refuse…to accept…defeat!"

"Give it up! You're almost dead already," said Ichigo. "And you've lost your Zanpakuto. How do you expect to fight me in your condition?"

"Shut up!" screamed Saiga. In an almost mad frenzy, the blue haired man raised his broken sword and attempted to charge at Ichigo.

He didn't even make one full stride before another sword suddenly impaled him through his forehead. This time, there was no doubt that he was dead, for his body collapsed limply on its side. Ichigo was left astounded by what he had just seen. _What the hell? Where did that other sword come from?_ His got his answer when out of nowhere there appeared a strange looking woman. She was wearing a red kimono covered with white lilies. Her hair was black in colour, and bunched up at the back with two flower hairpins, except for a thick strand of hair that hung halfway down her face. With red lipstick and mascara eye lashes, the woman looked every inch like a traditional Japanese noble lady. Ichigo was so mesmerized by her appearance, he didn't see her retrieve the sword that was stuck through Saiga's head.

"My, my, it pains me to dispose of my pawns like this," said the woman with a mock sigh. "Don't you agree Kurosaki Ichigo?"

"Who are you?" asked Ichigo. "Are you the one behind all of this mess?"

"Oh ho, you'll find out someday," smiled the woman. She winked at Ichigo. This caused him to snap and fire a full power _Getsuga Tensho_ at her. To his shock, the energy blast completely missed her, and before he could react, the woman was right in front of him.

"Your powers have certainly grown, but they're a long way from being able to hurt me," said the woman. In a move with caught Ichigo by surprise, she kissed him on the forehead.

"Make sure you don't die before the next time I see you again. You're too valuable a subject to waste," said the woman. She turned around and before Ichigo could chase after her, she disappeared. Ichigo was left in a state of utter confusion, unable to comprehend what he had just experienced. _What the fuck just happened? Some creepy bitch appeared out of nowhere and kissed me!_ Ichigo was furious that somebody had taken advantage of him. But he realized that whoever that woman was, it was none of his concern at the moment.

"I've got to get back to Rukia and the others," said Ichigo. He started Shunpo-ing up the stairs.

* * *

"Take this!" shouted Karin as she kicked one of the masked robots in the head with another red ball of energy. She had destroyed three of those robots already. Beside her, Kukaku was fighting against three robots at the same time. Kukaku placed her right hand on the ground.

"_Renkan Seppa Shen_!" shouted Kukaku. A force wave shot out from her hand in a semicircular arc. A second later the ground beneath the robots' feet turned into quicksand that caused each of the robots to be swallowed up by the ground.

As Karin and Kukaku fought, their spirit energy was being replenished by Yuzu, who constantly applied healing waves to their back.

The teamwork of the trio impressed Rukia, who had been fighting the bulk of the robots along with Jubinjo. She had already frozen more than two dozen robots with _Tsukishiro_ and _Hakuren_ but the amount of drones Jubinjo could produce seemed endless. _Shit, if this keeps up I'll run of out of reiryoku_, thought Rukia.

"Ha, ha, ha, you don't stand a chance against me!" laughed Jubinjo. "I can produce an endless number of drones at my command. You'll never be able to get past them!" Rukia tried to flash step past the robots and attack Jubinjo directly but the robots were quick enough to intercept her.

"Damn it," swore Rukia. She glanced at Karin, Kukaku and Yuzu and noticed that they were tiring too. _They can't hold out much longer. Soon the number of enemies will overwhelm them_.

"This is it you bitches! Finish them my illustrious drones!" ordered Jubinjo. The robots moved in for the kill. Before they could surround all four girls, a massive crescent blue energy blast appeared out of nowhere and cut right though Jubinjo's neck. The fat man's head dropped to the side before the rest of his body toppled over. Rukia wondered where the attack had come from, but when she glanced back at the tunnel they had came from all of her anxiety disappeared.

"Ichigo!" she exclaimed. Ichigo was standing at the entrance to the tunnel, holding his released Zanpakuto over his right shoulder. He was cut and bruised in several places but he was otherwise perfectly fine.

"Hey they Rukia," said Ichigo with a smile. "Looks like this time it is me who is doing to rescue work." Rukia grinned as well, finding his statement ironic and funny at the same time.

"For once, I'm actually happy you helped me out," said Rukia. "That fat guy was starting to annoy me with those robotic drones he created."

"Yeah, I can see why," said Ichigo as he examined at the huge amount of robotic bodies lying inert all around him.

"Onii-chan!" exclaimed Karin and Yuzu as they rushed to embrace their brother. Ichigo hugged his sisters tightly.

"Did you defeat that guy who kidnapped us?" asked Yuzu.

"Yeah, I beat him up real good," said Ichigo. He saw Kukaku approach him.

" I have to thank you and Rukia for everything you've done for us," said Kukaku. "If you hadn't come the moment you did, Karin-chan, Yuzu-chan and I would have all been dead. For that you have my eternal gratitude."

"You don't need to thank me Kukaku-san," said Ichigo. "I was only doing my duty as a Shinigami after all. Now then, I guess it is time we all head back home. We've got all the time in the world to catch up along the way."

With that, the five of them started the long journey home.

* * *

Notes: Apart from the fact that Ichigo and Rukia manage to rescue Kukaku, Karin and Yuzu succesfully, I guess the most notable development is the appearance of the strange woman who surprises Ichigo. I'm not going to tell who she is yet, except to say she'll play a _very_ important role in the future.

The next chapter will conclude the Shiba Family mini-arc and will contain some quite shocking revelations, so stay tuned for it.


	20. Chapter 20: Shiba Family Legacy

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 20 Shiba Family Legacy

It took Ichigo, Rukia, Kukaku and the sisters more than four days to return to the Junrinan district of Nishi Rukongai. For the first two of those days Ichigo and Rukia had to carry Karin and Yuzu on their backs, as both sisters were completely exhausted from their expenditure of spirit energy. As the group of five finally arrived back at the site of Kukaku's former house, they were greeted by a familiar figure, albeit one wrapped up in numerous bandages.

"Nee-san, Ichigo-san, welcome back!" called out Ganju as he waved his arms.

"Have you been waiting at this place all this time?" asked Ichigo.

"Nah, I was discharged from the local hospital about three days ago. I tried doing some salvaging work to the place but to no avail."

"So the house is beyond repair huh," said Kukaku with a sigh. "I guess we'll have to buy another house, even though this one cost us most of our live savings."

"And in the meantime we'll have to find another place to stay," said Ganju. He and Kukaku talked with Ichigo and Rukia about their options for the future.

"Hey, I've got an idea," said Rukia. "How about the two of you stay with Ichigo and me in Seireitei for the time being, until you get enough money to buy a new house." Rukia's suggestion was greeted with skepticism Ganju and caused Kukaku to shake her head.

"We can't Rukia-chan, you of all people should be familiar with the fate that was proclaimed on us by the Central 46 forty years ago," said Kukaku. "We have been forever expelled from the Seireitei."

"That is not necessarily the case," said another voice that completely shocked all of them. They all turned their faces to look, and their eyes widened when they saw the figures of Urahara and Yoruichi.

"Urahara-san! Yoruichi-san! What are you doing here?" asked Ichigo.

"I'm glad you asked Ichigo," said Yoruichi with a smile. "The Captain Commander, in consultation with Captain Kuchiki and Captain Ukitake, requested that Urahara and I meet up with you and Rukia-chan once you returned to Junrinan. We're here to discuss certain matters."

"What sort of matters?" asked Rukia. Urahara held up two fingers.

"The first matter is the status of your sisters, Kurosaki-san. The second matter is the status of the Shibas," said Urahara. Both Kukaku and Ganju were surprised by Urahara's words, but they held off from speaking.

"Now, in relation to the first matter, I am sure you're aware of the change in the nature of your sisters' powers, Kurosaki-san." Ichigo nodded. He had talked with Kukaku about what had happened down in the underground chamber and he had been stunned when he discovered that Karin and Yuzu had awakened their spiritual powers.

"When you were enrolled in the Shino Academy, the only reason your sisters were allowed to stay in Rukongai was because neither of them had enough reiatsu to negatively influence the local inhabitants," said Yoruichi. "But now, your sisters both possess a considerable amount of reiatsu and some ability to use it for combat purposes." Having also heard Yoruichi and Urahara's words, Karin and Yuzu remembered their fights against Liko and Jubinjo, and how they were able to channel their spirit energy into offensive and supplementary abilities.

"Let me guess what you're going to say next Urahara-san, Yoruichi-san," said Ichigo. "The Captain Commander has requested that my sisters be enrolled in the Shino Academy."

"Right on Kurosaki-san," smiled Urahara. "Your sisters have two choices: they either attend the Academy and be trained as Shinigami; or their spiritual powers get sealed permanently." Knowing that those were the exact same choices he had been presented with, Ichigo didn't want to make that decision for himself. He turned to face Karin and Yuzu.

` "Well, what do you think Karin-chan, Yuzu-chan? Do you want to become Shinigami like Rukia and I?" asked Ichigo. "Or do you wish to remain as ordinary Rukongai souls?" Yuzu seemed hesitant at making a decision but Karin's mind was made up from the moment her brother presented her with the two choices.

"Onii-chan, I'll enroll in the Academy," said Karin. "I want to become a Shinigami like you, so that Yuzu-chan and I will never suffer the same fate we endured ever again." Karin's words somehow gave Yuzu the resolve to make up her mind.

"I'm the same as Karin-chan," said Yuzu. "I want to become a Shinigami so that I'll never be weak or need you or Rukia-chan to rescue me all the time."

Ichigo was proud of his sisters' determination, as what Rukia and Kukaku. Urahara and Yoruichi seemed pleased too.

"Ichigo, your sisters really have grown strong," said Rukia. Ichigo nodded.

"I guess that settles the matter then," said Urahara. "We'll make arrangements to have Karin-chan and Yuzu-chan to be enrolled in the Academy right away, but the new year doesn't start until July, which is two months away."

"Now then, we can finally move onto the second matter," said Yoruichi. She took out a large scroll from inside her orange vest and handed it to Kukaku.

"What is this Yoruichi?" asked Kukaku.

"It's a proclamation from the Central 46. Go ahead and read it," said Yoruichi with a smile. Kukaku and Ganju undid the scroll and read its contents. They were so shocked at what they read that their entire bodies started shaking.

"This…can't…be," muttered Kukaku.

"This has got to be a joke right?" asked Ganju.

"Nope, this is not a joke," said Urahara. "It's exactly as it says on the scroll. 'The Shiba Family have been officially reinstated as one of the Five Great Noble Houses, and are hereby allowed to return to their former residence in Seireitei'."

"How is this possible? With Kaien nii-chan's death, we longer have a family member of the rank and status high enough to qualify as minor noble family, let alone as a great noble house!" exclaimed Kukaku. She stared at Urahara and Yoruichi, both of whom were grinning ear to ear. Urahara suddenly stared at Ichigo, who up until this moment had regarded the whole matter with indifference.

"Don't be so hasty in assuming you don't have a family member of high enough status, Kukaku-san. There's a member of such status standing right next to you."

"Huh?" both Kukaku and Ganju were confused. When they saw Urahara point to Ichigo, they were even further perplexed.

"It can't be! Are you saying Kurosaki-san is a member of the Shiba family?" asked Kukaku. The revelation also shocked Ichigo and Rukia. The two Shinigami stared at Urahara and Yoruichi with disbelief.

"Are you saying I'm related to Kukaku-san and Ganju-san?" asked Ichigo.

"That's right," nodded Yoruichi. "Urahara and I were just as stunned too when we found out about this, but the research we have done over past year is conclusive proof."

"But, my family name is Kurosaki," said Ichigo. "And I don't recall Kukaku-san and Ganju-san ever recognizing me when I first met them."

"Ichigo isn't some reincarnation of Kaien-dono is he?" asked Rukia. The idea, crazy as it was, that her deceased role model could have been beside her all this time frightened her.

"No, no, Kurosaki-san is not a reincarnation of Shiba Kaien. His relation to Kukaku and Ganju is something far more basic," said Urahara. He looked at Ichigo. "Tell me something Kurosaki-san, did you get your family name from your father or your mother?"

"Hmm, I seem to recall that Kurosaki was my mother's family name," admitted Ichigo. "Dad decided to take up the surname when he married her."

"Aha, just as we suspected," said Yoruichi. "Your father's real name isn't Kurosaki Isshin. His real name is…Shiba Isshin. And he is the uncle of Shiba Kukaku and Ganju." Ichigo, Rukia, Kukaku and Ganju were all floored by this revelation. It took them all nearly a minute to recover their composures.

"My father was a Shiba?" asked Ichigo. "And he is Kukaku-san and Ganju-san's uncle?"

"Huh, uncle Isshin has been alive all this time?" asked Kukaku. "Why did you keep such a secret from us Yoruichi?" In a rage Kukaku grabbed Yoruichi by a shirt collar.

"It was something that even Kisuke wasn't quite sure of," said Yoruichi. "We only found about Isshin's identity after consulting the Daireishokairo, and the Shiba family tree. When we discovered the secret, both Captain Commander Kyoraku and the Central 46 warned us not to tell anyone else about it."

"So who was my father than Yoruichi-san, Urahara-san?" asked Ichigo. "I know that he lost his Shinigami powers once and subsequently regained them prior to the final battle with Aizen, but other than that he never told me anything about his past."

"I guess it is time for the truth to be revealed," said Urahara with a sigh. "Isshin had promised me to never reveal his secrets to you, other than the fact that he was a Shinigami. But I think the time for me to keep that promise has come up. Your father was once a captain of the Gotei 13 many hundreds of years in the past. He was promoted to the Zero Division, the Royal Guard, for his long and faithful service. He served as one of the Spirit King's most loyal bodyguards until some unknown incident caused him to appear in the midst of Karakura Town about three decades ago. That was when I found him. He had been grievously wounded in a battle with a terrible enemy and he had somehow lost his Shinigami powers. At his request I gave him the same special gigai Kuchiki-san once used, so that he could live out the rest of his life as an ordinary human. He subsequently met your mother, and that is how you were conceived, Kurosaki-san."

Ichigo took in everything that Urahara had said about his father. The logic had been impeccable, yet he was still in disbelief at his father's origins.

"Wait a minute Kisuke, some of your facts don't match up" said Kukaku. "We know that Uncle Isshin was promoted to the Royal Guard, but his appearance in Karakura Town came years after Kaien nii-chan's death and our banishment from Seireitei. How do you explain the time discrepancy?"

"I honestly don't know the answer to that question Kukaku-san," said Urahara. "I'm not privy to the secrets of the King's Realm or the Royal Guard. All I can say is that Isshin's appearance in Karakura Town may be related to your family's banishment."

"Guys, I think we've discussed enough about this for now," said Yoruichi. "Let's all head for Seireitei." Ichigo, Rukia, his sisters, Kukaku and Ganju followed Yoruichi and Urahara through the White Way gate into Seireitei. Yoruichi asked Karin and Yuzu to accompany her to the Academy in order to arrange their enrolment. The others followed Urahara as he led them through the streets of Seireitei until they reached the former Shiba Family manor.

"Here it is, the former residence of the Shiba Family,' said Urahara. Ichigo regarded the immense complex in front of them. A set of thirty foot high red brick walls extended for nearly two hundred yards on either side of a three storey main gate that resembled a giant pavilion, much like the front gate of the Shino Academy. The roof of this gate had statues of golden cranes at each of its corners. Upon the doors of the gates were mirror images of a tumbling current of the falling heavens, the symbol of the Shiba Family. Despite the obvious dust and dirt that had accumulated through years of abandonment, the entire sight was nevertheless impressive.

"Our former home, how long has it been since we've lived here?" asked Kukaku. Urahara got out a small golden key and unlocked the doors of the gate, before handing the key to Ichigo.

"I'll let the four of you admire this complex at your own leisure," said Urahara. "I really have to return to the Academy right now. Call me if you have any problems." With that Urahara disappeared from sight. Ichigo took a deep breath as he swung open the front doors. Kukaku, Ganju and Rukia followed him through the gate.

As they walked to the other side of the gate, they found themselves in an immense courtyard that stretched a hundred yards in all directions. The courtyard was divided in the middle by a small river, which was crossed over by three bridges, with the middle bridge being wider than the two bridges at the side. At the far end of the courtyard was an enormous white pavilion, more than twice the height of the one at the front gate, and with a roof far more lavishly decorated with crane statues and symbols of the Shiba Family.

"My god, this place is massive," said Ichigo.

"It's almost as large as Nii-sama's place," said Rukia.

"This is just the front part. The whole of the manor goes much deeper than this," said Kukaku. She led Ichigo, Rukia and Ganju into the main pavilion. When they entered, they saw the entire interior of the pavilion was actually one gigantic chamber. Opposite the entrance to the chamber was a ten foot high shrine, meant to honour the gods and the ancestors. In front of the shrine was a table that contained countless unused incense shrines that were still intact despite the passage of 50 years. Above the shrine and placed along all four walls of the chamber were portraits of various men. All in all, Ichigo counted 26 portraits, with the last two depicting the faces of his father and a man Ichigo recognised as Kukaku's older brother, Shiba Kaien.

"Those portraits up there are the faces of the twenty six heads of the Shiba clan, from the very founding of Soul Society, up until the present," said Kukaku. "The last head of the family was my brother, but he never had the status of a full noble family patriarch."

"So then, this place is a shrine dedicated to the memories of your ancestors?" asked Rukia. Kukaku and Ganju nodded. They led Ichigo and Rukia out of one of the two side exists of the pavilion. The four of them headed for the rear of the estate. They observed the gardens lining the eastern walls of the manor which had become overgrown, and walked over a small lake that was still filled with water despite not having been maintained for half a century.

After crossing over the lake they finally reached the residential quarters at the rear of the manor. The quarters consisted of four large buildings surrounding a square courtyard with a fountain in the middle. Kukaku led the others to the largest of the buildings. The building inside contained three bedrooms, each with an ensuite, a lounge area, and a dining area.

"This building is where Ganju and I lived. We shared the place with Kaien nii-chan and his wife. The two buildings on the side housed the living quarters of the servants that worked for our family, as well as spare accommodation for guests," said Kukaku. After an exploration of the building, the four of them returned to the living room. Kukaku took down a framed picture from the walls and showed it to Ichigo and Rukia. The picture depicted the faces of Kukaku and Ganju standing alongside their elder brother Kaien and his wife Miyako. Standing behind the four at the front was a man that Ichigo recognised as his father. He was stunned to see that his father had looked no different back then, save for slightly less facial hair.

"This is a picture of your entire family?" asked Rukia.

"Yes, this painting was made shortly after Kaien nii-chan married, which was about 140 years ago. It was also just before the time when our uncle, your father Isshin, was promoted to the Royal Guard," said Kukaku. She placed the picture back on the wall, and motioned the others to sit around a round coffee table in the middle of the room.

"Um, Kukaku-san, would you mind telling me more about my father?" asked Ichigo. "I once had a chance of asking him about his past but I never got around to it." Kukaku took a deep breath before she responded.

"Alright then, I'll tell you a bit about Isshin, as you are related to him just as much as Ganju and I are. Isshin-san was the younger brother of our father, who was originally the head of the family. When Ganju and I were born our father was already a sick man, and he died when we were young. Our mother stayed on to care of us for a few more years but she too succumbed to illness. The three of us, Kaien, Ganju and I, were then raised by Uncle Isshin. He treated us as his children and watched us mature and grow. He was especially proud of Kaien, for he was able to graduate from the Academy and become a Shinigami at a very young age. Uncle Isshin nominated Kaien as the family heir when Kaien married his wife Miyako."

"That was when the picture on the wall was taken," said Rukia. Kukaku nodded.

"A short time after the wedding, Uncle Isshin received a summons from the Central 46. For his centuries of service in the Gotei 13 he was given the honour of being promoted to the Royal Guard, the Zero Division who protected the Spirit King. When we found about it, we all begged him not to go, but Uncle Isshin insisted. And so he departed for the King's Realm, never to be seen by us again. Kaien became the head of the family after that when he was promoted to lieutenant of the 13th division. For a long time, the four of us, Kaien and his wife, and Ganju and I, lived on the estate in peace."

"But when I met Kaien-dono he said his family residence was in Rukongai," said Rukongai. "What happened between the time Isshin-san became a Royal Guard and my enlistment in the 13th division?" Kukaku and Ganju glanced at each other. Both of them knew how traumatic the subsequent events were. Kukaku allowed Ganju to speak, for in her heart she couldn't bear reliving those moments again.

"Well, about forty years after Kaien nii-san became the head of the family, we received a proclamation from the Central 46," said Ganju. "This proclamation came with the seal of the King himself on it. It basically stated the Shiba family had been stripped of his status as one of the Five Great Noble Houses. Accompanying the proclamation was an order that evicted us from our own estates."

"The Central 46 forced you out of your homes? Why?" asked Ichigo

"Neither Nee-san nor I know the exact reasons. Perhaps it had something to do with Uncle Isshin. In any case, Kaien Nii-san was enraged about the proclamation and tried to storm into the Central 46 chambers demanding that the eviction order be lifted. In his attempt at entering the Central 46 chambers without permission Kaien nii-san fought against Kuchiki Byakuya, who was then the lieutenant of the 6th division."

"What? Kaien-dono fought my Nii-sama?" asked Rukia. "How come?"

"Ah, I think the answer to that should be obvious to you, Rukia-san," said Ganju. "You know your brother's character well enough. Do you think he'd tolerate my brother's flagrant affront to the rules of Soul Society?" Rukia should her head sadly.

"No, I doubt he would. Nii-sama told me he was hot headed when he was young but by the time I met him he was already a stringent observer of the rules. I guess he probably regard Kaien-dono's actions the same way he regarded Ichigo's actions to rescue me."

"That was precisely what happened. From what I heard the two of them almost fought a battle to the death, but they were stopped by Byakuya's grandfather and Captain Ukitake of the 13th division." Ganju's eyes narrowed. "By all rights my brother would have been imprisoned then, but both Byakuya's grandfather and Captain Ukitake begged the Central 46 to grant him clemency. He and his wife were allowed to keep their positions in the Gotei 13, but nee-san and I were ordered to leave Seireitei. We eventually found a place to stay in Junrinan, where the two of us founded a fireworks business."

"And that's where you lived when I presented Kaien-dono's body to you," said Rukia. The memories of that awful night, when she had to kill her former lieutenant to prevent him from being possessed by a modified hollow. Despite having absolved herself of all guilt, Rukia still found it hard to remember that moment.

"With Kaien and his wife dead, Ganju and I were officially outcasts from Seireitei," said Kukaku. "We managed to make friends amongst the locals, but we never interacted with Seireitei's denizens until you showed up in Rukongai, Ichigo-san."

Ichigo considered everything Kukaku and Ganju had said. Their account complemented what Urahara told him about his father before, and finally gave a complete picture of his ties with the Shiba family.

"I get everything now, Kukaku-san, Ganju-san," said Ichigo. "I understand my family bonds with the two of you, and the role my father has to play in all this. If there's anything I can add, it's this: I think your banishment from Seireitei and my father's appearance in Karakura Town are related to each other."

"What makes you say that?" asked Kukaku.

"Well, during the three months I spent in the Dangai prior to my final battle with Aizen, I learnt a bit about my father. He told me he had used a technique in the past which stripped him of all his Shinigami powers in an attempt to defeat a powerful enemy. As this must have happened during his time as a Royal Guard, I'm guessing that whatever made him lose all of his spiritual powers also caused the Shiba family to be stripped of its title."

"That makes a lot of sense, Ichigo-san," said Kukaku. "But until the day Ganju and I meet your father again, I doubt we will ever know what happened to him."

Ichigo bowed his head and sighed deeply. He too wanted to see his father, if only to ask him why he had kept such a shocking secret from him all this time.

With the conversation about the Shiba family history over, Ichigo and Rukia returned to their respective division barracks, leaving Kukaku and Ganju to begin the task of restoring their original home to the state it once was.

* * *

Notes: As some readers may have guessed, the shocking revelation in this chapter is that Ichigo and his sisters are part of the Shiba family, and that Kukaku and Ganju are Ichigo's cousins. This chapter also provides an almost complete account of Isshin's backstory, and perhaps explains a plothole in the manga about when the Shibas were stripped of their Great Noble House status, and the implied hint in volume 19 that Byakuya once fought Kaien.

The next chapter will see the start of a new mini-arc, with a completely different character as a central focus.


	21. Chapter 21: Ishida in Darkness

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 21 Ishida in Darkness

Inside an old abandoned warehouse, three shadowy figures stood in the middle of a five sided star surrounded by a circle. They all wore white clothing, and around their necks or arms they each carried a chain, at the end of which hung a five sided star. Two of the figures were men, one tall and thin; the other short and obese. The third figure was a woman with long black hair. At this moment they were all chanting a strange dialect. As they chanted the circle they were standing on glowed a bright blue.

"I've found the target," said the woman. "He's right where we expected him to be."

"Good. It's almost time for us to make our move," said the skinny man.

"How are we going to persuade him to join us?" asked the fat man.

"Isn't that obvious? We'll use his concern for his friends as leverage," said the skinny man. "But above all, we'll strike at where he is weakest: his pride.

"I can't wait to meet him," said the woman as she licked her lips. "He sounds like such a tantalizing prospect."

"Good morning Ishida-kun!" called out Inoue Orihime. Ishida Uryu looked up from his desk.

"Oh, Inoue, how come you're not at work today?" asked Ishida.

"Heh, heh, it's my day off today," said Orihime with a smile. "I've come to see how you're going."

"Well, things are just as busy as ever," said Ishida. He flicked through the piles of documents on his desk before inputting data on his desktop screen. "Ever since Kurosaki died, all of the patients that formally went to his clinic have now been transferred to my short term care list. I have juggle between treating them and monitoring the people at the surgery. It's a miracle that I get any free time."

"Seems like you've got your hands full huh," said Orihime. "Speaking of Kurosaki-kun, did you know that today is the anniversary of his death?"

"It is?" Ishida checked his calendar. The date marked 'June 7th', had the words 'Kurosaki's death + 1' written in the box under it. "My god, you're right, it is the anniversary of his birthday. It just so happens that I'm off duty for the weekend."

"Shall we arrange another get together with the others? I know Sado-kun and Tatsuki-chan would come at a moment's notice."

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to hold a commemoration, although I doubt people like Asano or Kojima will come; I heard they've both moved out of Karakura Town."

"Oh, that's a shame. Well then I'll see you in the afternoon! I'm going to see Tatsuki-chan!" Orihime waved Ishida goodbye as she left his office. Ishida saw her leave the front doors of the hospital, before he went back to work.

As he scanned through the paperwork again, Ishida's mind brooded about a lot of thoughts. The first thought was about whether he could live up to the standard his father had set in running this hospital. Like Ichigo's father, Ishida Ryuken had bequeathed the entire hospital to his son some three years ago and then promptly disappeared. Ishida had never seen him since, and in attempting to fill his father's shoes he had stopped going out at night to kill hollows. In fact, he had not once used his Quincy powers in nearly three years.

The other thought that filled Ishida's head was his relationship with Orihime. They had been seeing each other ever since the two of them had graduated high school. Yet throughout all this time Ishida was plagued by doubts about Orihime's feelings for him. He knew that deep down the person she admired the most was Ichigo, and he knew how much she had suffered when she heard of his death. There had been many nights where Orihime had phoned Ishida and discussed her dreams about seeing Ichigo come back to live, and Ishida had got the impression that her attachment to a now dead man was as strong as ever. It took Ichigo's reunion with them in March this year for Orihime to finally concede that she would never have a chance to be with Ichigo. Since that day Ishida's relationship with her had blossomed, but he still couldn't bring himself to express his feelings for her. _I'm just as pathetic as Inoue_, Ishida thought. _No matter how hard I try, I will never be able to tell her that I love her_.

Ishida's brooding was interrupted by a nurse who informed him of another outpatient arrival. Ishida stopped what he was doing and followed the nurse to the waiting room…

* * *

As his shift at the Karakura General Hospital ended, Ishida changed out of his doctor's attire into his casual clothing, before carrying his belongings to his car, a sleek Mercedes Benz C class. He threw his belongings in the back seat before he entered the driver's seat and started the engine. Within a minute he was out of the hospital's driveway.

After about ten minutes of driving Ishida arrived at his apartment. He parked his car in the garage and headed upstairs. After a brief shower he changed into a more formal attire-a gray tuxedo and matching pants, with a blue shirt underneath. Instead of taking the car, Ishida decided to walk to the meeting spot Orihime had designated. It was only about ten minutes' walk from his apartment, and as it was in the downtown area of Karakura Town, he knew it would be a hassle to park his car.

He exited his apartment and made the journey on foot. After fifteen minutes he reached the destination; one of Karakura Town's most lavish and expensive restaurants. Already waiting at the steps of the restaurant was Orihime. She was dressed in an elegant sleeveless purple dress that reached right down to her heels, but was bare at the top, revealing an ample amount of her cleavage. Her hair was bunched up with a large hairpin at the side and she wore a pair of sparkling earrings.

"You look stunning Inoue," said Ishida with a smile.

"Heh, heh, you're looking pretty handsome yourself Ishida-kun," Orihime smiled back.

"So who else is coming tonight?"

"Just Tatsuki-chan and Sado-kun I'm afraid. You were correct about Keigo-san and Mizuiro-san. They both said they couldn't make it. The other classmates didn't bother responding to my calls at all."

"That's okay. I'm fine with just the four of us," said Ishida. "It's fitting that only Kurosaki's closest friends gather here to remember him." The two of them waited at the front steps of the restaurant for another ten minutes. Then they saw two figures wave at them as they approached. It was Tatsuki and Chad. Tatsuki was dressed in a black dress that also extended down to her heels and was just as revealing as Orihime's. The only difference in her attire was that she also wore a large fur coat over the dress. Chad was dressed in a black shirt and trousers with a red tie, and had a pair of sunglasses on this forehead.

"My, my the two of you sure look classy," said Tatsuki slyly.

"Same to the two of you," retorted Ishida.

"So it's just the four of us again," said Chad.

"I've already booked our table. It's a table for four on the second floor," said Orihime. The four friends entered the restaurant after showing the bouncer at the front door their IDs. They were then greeted by a male waiter who instantly recognised Ishida.

"Doctor Ishida, it's a pleasure seeing you here," said the waiter. "The boss said he owes you a favour for treating his back, so for today you and your friends get a ten percent discount."

"Hmm, not bad at all," said Ishida. "Just show us to our table." They followed the waiter up a flight of stairs and past numerous tables until they reached a table for four that provided breathtaking views of the downtown skyline.

"Wow, this view is brilliant. You really picked a good table for us Orihime," said Tatsuki. The four of them sat down beside the table, with Ishida and Orihime and one side, and Tatsuki and Chad on the other. Another waiter came and gave them two menus. They all chose the standard eight course meal, accompanied by some entrée and two bottles of champagne. As they waited for the meal to be served, they talked with each other.

"Hey Orihime, I've heard you're now working at a modeling agency," said Tatsuki.

"What? Is that true Inoue?" asked Ishida. It was the first time he had heard of it.

"Well, it's not exactly one of those big name modeling agencies," said Orihime. "It's really more of an advertising agency. They want to put my face on some new products that are going to be put on the market this summer."

"What kind of products are they going to be?" asked Chad. Orihime's face briefly had the weirdest expression Ishida had ever seen.

"Um, well, most of them are high quality vegetable and fruit products. They got me to hold a leek in my hands and spin it around a few times, and pretend to be all happy and stuff."

"Okay…sounds like a pretty interesting job," said Tatsuki. "At least you might become famous because of this."

"What about the two of you?" Ishida posed his question to Tatsuki and Chad.

"I'm now working full time as a professional instructor at a fitness centre," said Tatsuki. "I teach all forms of martial arts including karate, judo and taekwondo and jujutsu."

"Uh, I'm working as a delivery person for furniture and white goods," said Chad. "Last week I got a promotion and a twenty percent pay rise."

"I see," said Ishida. He didn't mind the fact his friends either found themselves with a new job or got a promotion or pay rise.

The main course dishes soon arrived and for the next two hours the four of them mostly ate their meal in silence, with only the brief comment by any of them.

* * *

After they finished eating the meal and paid for it in a joint manner, Ishida, Orihime, Tatsuki and Chad walked out of the restaurant.

"Hey guys, I was wondering if we should visit Kurosaki-kun's grave at the cemetery again," suggested Orihime.

"Are you mad? Look how late it is!" exclaimed Tatsuki. "I doubt the cemetery will still be open by now, and even if it is I wouldn't want to go there at this time of night."

"How about we stop by Ichigo's former house? I heard from the neighbours there that the house still remains vacant," said Chad.

"That might be a good idea," said Ishida. And so the four of them caught a nearby taxi that took them out of the downtown Karakura until they reached the nearest large road to Ichigo's former home. They got out and walked for a few hundred metres of so until they arrived at their destination. The former house of the Kurosakis still had its windows boarded up and the front gate locked. A large auction sign that had been put up nearly half a year ago was still there, but now it was covered with graffiti.

"Huh, they still haven't found a buyer for this place?" asked Tatsuki.

"Looks like the rumours of this place being haunted are as persistent as ever," said Chad.

"I wouldn't blame potential buyers from being scared away," said Ishida. "After all, the police still haven't figured out the cause of Kurosaki and his sisters' death. I doubt they ever will."

"There's something that's different about this place. Look at the window on the first floor," said Orihime. She pointed to a skull like symbol that was hanging from the boarded up window.

"That looks like the Substitute Shinigami badge Ichigo once had," said Tatsuki. "I wonder why it was placed there."

"Who knows? Maybe it's a sensory device of some sort," Ishida shrugged. "Anyway, I think we've stayed here long enough. Let's go home now." The others all nodded. Even though it was Friday night, none of them felt like staying up till the wee hours of the morning.

The four of them walked only a hundred metres at most from Ichigo's former house when Ishida saw a stranger coming towards them. He looked like an old man, somewhere in the mid 60s. He had short white hair with a slight bang that hung down his forehead, and a neatly trimmed beard. But what was most distinctive about this man was the clothes he was wearing. They were pure white in colour, and around the man's shoulders was a flowing white cape. Ishida recognised the clothing as soon as he saw them, and his eyes widened in shock. _Those are…the traditional Quincy robes_! He thought.

"Greetings, Ishida Uryu-kun," said the man. Ishida couldn't pin down his accent but he knew he wasn't a Japanese.

"Who are you? How do you know my name?" he asked. The man grinned.

"I think it should be obvious by my clothing who I am," said the man. "I am a Quincy just like you. My name is Gunther Gibichung, head of the Gibichung family, and a colleague of your father Ishida Ryuken." Ishida was utterly stunned.

"You…know my father? And you're a Quincy too?"

"Oh I know your father alright. I met him during a year-long exchange study at Tokyo University, and since then the two of us have been rivals in the field of medicinal and spiritual research. And as for me being a Quincy…here's my proof." The man called Gunther showed Ishida a five sided Quincy cross. There was no doubt about it now. This man was a Quincy.

"Your surname isn't Japanese. Where are you from?" asked Ishida.

"Seems like you noticed," said Gunther. "My family hails from Germany, and is descended from a long line of nobles dating back to the middle ages." As soon as he heard the man was from Germany Ishida instantly recalled some words his grandfather had told him when he was young.

"_Remember this well Uryu. Our family is not the only Quincy clan around. The bulk of the Quincies in fact lived in Europe. It was there that the Quincy rebellion against Soul Society took place._ _Almost all of them were killed by the Shinigami, but a fraction of survivors may have escaped the slaughter…_"

"Ah, now I get it," said Ishida, after remembering his grandfather's words. "You're a survivor or a descendent of those Quincies who fought the Shinigami during the Quincy wars."

"That is correct," said the man called Gunther.

"Huh, the Quincy Wars? What is that all about?" asked Orihime. Ishida begged her, Tatsuki and Chad to keep quiet for a moment.

"So what do you want from me then?" asked Ishida. Gunther grinned again, but this time the grin seemed sinister.

"I think you ought to know now, why I've come to meet you," said Gunther. "I want you to join me Uryu. Join our clan and together we will strike at the Shinigami who destroyed our pride and honour." Ishida regarded Gunther's proposal for a moment. He then burst out laughing.

"Oh man, do you seriously think I'd be idiotic enough to accept your offer?" asked Ishida. "And join you on a suicidal caper against Soul Society? You must be mad."

"Hmm, I knew you would say that," said Gunther, seemingly unaffected by Ishida's taunt. "I guess appealing to your Quincy pride alone won't cut it, as is appealing to your hatred of Shinigami"

"Of course not. I've long given up that 'pride of the Quincy bullshit'," said Ishida. "I don't have high regard for the Gotei 13 as a whole, but one of my closest friends is a Shinigami, and I owe him a great deal for turning my life around. I would never betray his trust and confidence."

"Ah yes, I know about your Shinigami friend. Kurosaki Ichigo isn't it? The son of Kurosaki Isshin, one of Ishida Ryuken's old pals," said Gunther. Ishida was surprised that this man knew all of their names. "Like father like son I see. You said you'd never betray your friend's confidence? Then what if I said to you that your friend has already betrayed you? What if I said that your friends' father murdered _your_ father in cold blood?" A chill went up Ishida's spine as soon as he heard Gunther's words.

"What, Kurosaki-kun's dad killed Ishida-kun's dad?" asked Orihime.

"That doesn't make any sense," said Tatsuki. "Where is the proof of that?"

"I bet that guy is lying," said Chad.

"I am not lying. Take a look at this photograph," said Gunther. He took a photo out of his pocket and handed it over to Ishida. As soon as Ishida saw it his eyes widened in shock. The image was unmistakable. The bloodied body of his father was lying on the ground at the feet of another man who resembled Ichigo's father. Ishida stared up at Gunther, who was now smiling maniacally.

"I don't believe this is a genuine photo," said Ishida. "Unless I somehow speak to Kurosaki's father by myself, everything you said could just be an elaborate stunt. Even if this is real, it still won't convince me to join your idiotic scheme. If I see Kurosaki or his father again, I'll confront them about my father, but I'm not going to throw away my life in a pointless act of revenge against Soul Society. If you are so determined to carry on your plans, then do them by yourself. Don't involve me in your business."

"Well said Uryu," said Chad. Orihime and Tatsuki nodded. Ishida's retort made Gunther chuckle.

"I really thought you and I were of like mind, Uryu," said Gunther. "But if you won't listen to reason then I'll have to resort to force to win you over!" With a wave of his hand, Gunther signaled two shadowy figures who had been hiding in the shadows to appear behind him. The two figures were a short fat man, and a woman with dazzling long black hair. Both were wearing the same Quincy robes as Gunther.

"Gutrune, Hagen, kill the orange haired girl beside him," said Gunther.

"Oh, you want us to take out the pretty looking whore? That's a pity," said the man called Hagen.

"You're quite the cruel man, Master Gunther," said Gutrune. The two of them summoned large spirit bows from the Quincy crosses around their right wrists and pointed them at Orihime.

"Oh shit!" swore Ishida as he saw them fire two massive arrows at Orihime. The two arrows streaked towards Orihime's head and chest, but just before they hit her Chad got in the way. Ishida, Orihime and Tatsuki could only watch in horror as the two arrows pierced Chad, one going dangerously close to his heart, the other hitting him in the stomach. Chad spewed a glob of blood from his mouth before his legs buckled and he fell onto his side

"Sado-kun!" cried Orihime and Tatsuki. They both dropped beside him. Ishida stared at his fallen friend before turning his attention to the three Quincies in front of him.

"You monsters! How dare you attack a defenceless woman like that?" asked Ishida in a rage. He moved to summon his own spirit bow but he was stopped by Gunther's words.

"Make one false step and the two girls get it straight in the head!" shouted Gunther. "If you want them to live you must slowly move towards us." Ishida froze his arms and grimaced. _Damn it, they're holding my nakama as hostages_, thought Ishida. He dropped his hands by his side.

"Ah yes, that's the way," said Gutrune. "What is your choice boy? The life of your friends or your foolish Quincy pride?"

"You'd better make the decision quick because I can't hold the trigger finger for long," said Hagen. Ishida considered his options. He was outnumbered three to one, against Quincies who might be as strong as himself. Chad was already critically wounded; had he still been healthy Ishida might have thought about attacking them. But the most important consideration was the safety of Orihime. _What a choice-to choose between seeing Inoue dead and possibly not seeing her again_, thought Ishida. His closed his eyes and tried to think of what his father or grandfather would say. Their words came back to him.

"_There's no sense in saving the dead. That's the Shinigami's job. Your time should be better spent saving the living…_"

"_What you think is right depends on what you want to protect_…" Ishida opened his eyes again, having made up his mind.

"Alright, I accept your offer. Just as long as you promise not to harm my friends," said Ishida. "If I find out that a single more ounce of their blood has been spilt, the deal is off and I will kill all of you." Gunther, Gutrune and Hagen grinned evilly as Ishida slowly walked to their side.

"No Ishida-kun! Don't listen to them!" cried Orihime in despair.

"What are you thinking Uryu? Are you going to throw your life away?" asked Tatsuki.

"I'm not going to throw my life away," replied Ishida as he faced his friends again. "I'm doing this to protect all of you. Inoue, Tatsuki-chan, try to treat Sado's injuries the best you can. I promise that once this business is done I'll come back for you." With that Ishida stood beside Gunther. The four Quincies disappeared into the night sky.

* * *

At this moment, the skull placed on the first floor window of the Kurosaki family residence lit up and started flashing. Its signal was transmitted to a certain Shinigami's office in Seireitei.

* * *

Notes: Thie chapter begins the mini-arc called the Shadow Quincies. Ishida is obviously going to be the main driving force, but others, including Ichigo and Rukia, will be involved.

A brief comment about the three OC Quincies, Gunther, Gutrune and Hagen Gibichung-Their names are taken from the epic German poem _The Niebelunglied_, or Song of the Niebelung in English, which was also dramatised in Richard Wagner's play of the same name. I thought it was a fitting reference as Kubo also once referenced a german composer's play-Der Freicschuz by Wagner's mentor Carl von Weber.


	22. Chapter 22: A Shadow Covenant

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 22 A Shadow Covenant 

13th division lieutenant Kuchiki Rukia yawned as she woke up. She had stayed up late last night due to a work related meeting with her fellow lieutenants. Instead of heading over to her brother's manor, she decided to sleep the night at the residential dormitory at the 13th division barracks. Her head was still throbbing from the sake she had been goaded into drinking.

"God, I feel terrible," said Rukia. Two weeks had passed since she had visited the Shiba Family complex and witnessed Ichigo's unofficial coronation as the Head of the Shiba Family. The meetings between the Shibas and the Kuchikis that followed had eaten up most of her spare time, as she had been forced to accompany her brother to all official noble functions. The only upside of these meetings was that she got plenty of opportunities to be close to Ichigo.

Though technically today was a day off for her, Rukia wasn't a person to sleep in late. She got out of bed and walked to the bathroom. As she fixed up her hair Rukia noticed the Chappy figure she had mounted on the side of the mirror was flashing nonstop. Rukia flipped over the Chappy figure's belly, revealing a personal Danreishinki. This one was special, for it was directly linked to a spiritual beacon Rukia had placed upon Ichigo's former residence after he had lost his powers six years ago. The beacon was designed to alert her to any abnormal spiritual activity that occurred around the vicinity of his house. It was one such alert that had enabled Rukia to arrive at Ichigo's house in time to perform Konso on he and his sisters when they were killed by hollows. Now Rukia found the alert beeping again. She clicked some buttons and brought up the spiritual surveillance feed from the beacon.

"That's strange," said Rukia. The surveillance feed showed the spiritual signatures of up to seven individuals, four on the left and three on the right. As she watched the grainy video, Rukia saw a figure on the left collapse onto the ground, after being hit with what looked like spiritual arrows.

"What the hell, spiritual arrows?" asked Rukia. She knew only one group of people who were known to fire such arrows. As she intensified the signal's quality, Rukia saw the clothes the people on the right were wearing. They looked distinctly like Quincy robes. And one of the figures on the left attracted her attention. It was one of her nakama, Ishida Uryu. Rukia's eyes gasped when she saw Ishida join the three figures on the right before the four of them performed some kind of flash step move and disappeared.

"This is serious," said Rukia. "I've got to inform the captains about this."

Several hours later Rukia was summoned to the Captain Commander's office. When she got there she saw the figures of Ichigo and Renji standing in front of the Acting Captain Commander Kyoraku.

"There you are Kuchiki-san," said Kyoraku. "Thank you for your timely warning. I asked the 12th division to analyze the same spiritual disturbance in Karakura Town last night and they came to the same conclusion as you did: the figures who attacked Kurosaki's human friends last night were Quincies."

"Is that why you summoned Ichigo and Renji?" asked Rukia.

"Yes. I thought about sending a small emergency team down to the real world to sort out this matter before things get out of hand. According to a brief chat with Captain Kurotsuchi, I've come to the conclusion that these unidentified Quincies wanted to entice the Quincy representative Ishida Uryu to their side."

"And what are they hoping to achieve by persuading him to join them?" asked Ichigo.

"At this point, we have no idea. But if my hunch is correct, these new Quincies will probably attempt to attract tens of thousands of hollows to Karakura Town and kill them." Ichigo, Rukia and Renji were all shocked at this prospect.

"Killing such a large amount of hollows like that could disrupt the spiritual equilibrium between the planes," said Renji.

"Just like what Ishida attempted to do when I was still a Substitute Shinigami," added Ichigo.

"Except this time it might be a genuine occurrence," said Rukia.

"Good, you all realize the gravity of the situation," said Kyoraku. "I've decided to send you three because you're the Shinigami most familiar with the awakened humans of Karakura Town. Kurosaki, I want you to contact your former nakama and find out the situation. Then the three of you should do whatever you can to stop those Quincies."

"What about Ishida-kun?" asked Ichigo.

"If you can bring him to his senses then we won't take any action against him," said Kyoraku. Ichigo thanked the Captain Commander. Ichigo, Rukia and Renji left the 1st division barracks and prepared for their mission to Karakura Town.

* * *

"How's Chad's condition?" asked Tatsuki.

"He's in a stable condition now, but it might take him a while to fully recover," said Orihime. The two girls had carried Chad's unconscious body to Tatsuki's house. Orihime had used her Soten Kesshun spell to heal Chad's wounds, and she and Tatsuki stayed up for the entire night watching over him. It was already early morning.

"I'm worried about Ishida-kun," said Orihime.

"So am I Orihime. That idiot let his 'Quincy pride' get the better of him," muttered Tatsuki. "He'd better not do anything stupid."

"Should we have tried to stop him from going?"

"Even if we did, could we have stopped him? We'd have been shot to pieces if we tried to attack those three Quincies. Regardless of how foolish Uryu acted, he had at least assured that we wouldn't get hurt." Tatsuki's words comforted Orihime a little bit, but she still had a great deal of anxiety in her heart.

_Several hours earlier…_

Ishida followed Gunther, Gutrune and Hagen across the streets of Karakura Town. The three other Quincies appeared to be as skilled in their fighting techniques as he himself was, for they all demonstrated the perfected _Hirenkyaku_ technique of summoning an invisible board beneath their feet.

The four of them flew past downtown Karakura Town before they arrived at an old disused warehouse in one of the city's slum districts. Ishida followed them through a door at the side. The interior of the warehouse was mostly run down and ramshackle, but there was evidence it had been occupied by people, as an entire portion of it was partially walled off and contained beds, a portable bathroom and a small kitchen area. But the main feature that stood out in the interior of the warehouse was a huge five-sided pentagram symbol near the middle of the interior. Ishida recognised it as a Quincy ritual circle; a powerful device used to perform high level incantations.

"From the looks of it, you guys have been here for quite some time," said Ishida.

"Indeed we have. The three of us arrived here in Japan more than five years ago," said Gunther. We found this abandoned warehouse perfect for making our ritual circle."

"More than five years ago huh…so that means you guys know about the great battle that took place in the portion of Karakura Town that was transferred to Soul Society," said Ishida. Gunther nodded.

"Of course, why shouldn't we have? A battle between spiritual beings of that magnitude was enough to incite worldwide panic," said Gunther. "The human leaders tried to dismiss it as supernatural phenomena but we knew what was going on here; this place is still Earth's Jureichi." _So they know about that_, thought Ishida.

"Alright, enough small talk, just tell me what your plans are and why you need my help in particular," said Ishida.

"Our plan is simple," said Gutrune. "To scatter enough hollow bait in the vicinity of the Jureichi so that up to a hundred thousand hollows will be attracted to this area. Then we shall kill them all."

"A hundred thousand? Are you insane?" asked Ishida. "A concentration of spiritual entities that large is certain to attract Soul Society's attention."

"That is what we are counting on, my boy," Gunther grinned. "When the Shinigami notice the large amount of hollows dying in their droves they will send forces down to the real world to stop us."

"And when they do, we shall grab one by the scruff of their neck and force them to open the gate to Soul Society!" exclaimed Hagen. "Once we are there our revenge against the Shinigami will begin."

"Have you forgotten something? The Soul Society is made entirely out of reishi. If you take one step through the Seireimon your souls will be ripped from your bodies," said Ishida. "How do you expect to function in that state?"

"There is no need to worry about that," said Gunther. He, Gutrune and Hagen revealed a special collar around their left wrists. "These special devices will automatically transform our physical bodies into spiritual bodies instantaneously."

"Okay, even if you are prepared to enter Soul Society and fight the Gotei 13, why do you need my help in particular? Do you want me to join in your suicidal assault?" asked Ishida

"Heh, even we are realistic enough to know that you wouldn't consent to such an act even through force," said Gunther. "Instead, you are going to be one who will set the hollow bait and kill the majority of the hollows. Your spirit bow _Ginrei Kokaju_, is well suited to taking on thousands of hollows at once, is it not?"

_They know about my bow?_ _Shit, looks like they truly did plan for everything_, thought Ishida. _They're going to use me as the bait for the Shinigami who are almost certain to target me first._ Despite the precarious situation he was in, Ishida wasn't willing to concede his free will just yet.

"I don't know how you managed to find out about the details of my spirit bow, but there is no way you're going to make me kill all of the hollows myself. The most I'll do is assist you in setting up the hollow bait. The three of you can kill the hollows by yourselves," said Ishida. His words caused Gunther and Gutrune to laugh.

"I like your spirit, boy. Even knowing that we have the life of your friends in our grasp, you're still unwilling to surrender your free will? Your Quincy pride is impressive indeed," said Gunther. "Perhaps it is time for us to reveal our final ace in the hole." Gunther motioned to Gutrune, who approached Ishida.

"Are you aware of your family's ancestry, Ishida Uryu?" asked Gutrune.

"What do you mean my family's ancestry? I am well aware that my grandfather was Ishida Soken, and that my mother was a non-spiritually aware human," said Ishida.

"It seems you don't have a clue then," said Gutrune with a smile. "Do you have any recollection of your grandmother?" _My grandmother? What do they know of her?_ Ishida tried to recall some vague words his grandfather had said about her.

"She died before I was even born, so I have no clue what she was." Gutrune grinned.

"Then you really don't know who she was. That's to be expected. Let me tell you this: you have the blood of the greatest Quincy who ever lived in your veins, for your grandmother is the descended of the legendary Siegfriend Walsung." The mention of that name rocked Ishida's soul to its very core. He had heard of that legendary Quincy's name before, for his grandfather had told him countless fanciful stories about the Quincy wars, but he had thought the figure was a myth. _I'm related to Siegfried Walsung?_

Before Ishida could ask another question, Gunther and Hagen suddenly took out several ginto tubes and broke them open. A faint green-coloured gas clouded open Ishida's face. Ishida accidentally breathed some of that gas. A second later he started seeing hallucinations of a handsome man with dashing long blonde hair, a muscular physique and wearing an ancient looking Quincy costume.

"Do you see it Ishida Uryu? The figure you're seeing right now is the great Quincy Siegfried Walsung himself. The one who singlehandedly killed a hundred thousand hollows by himself, and who dared to challenge the combined might of the Gotei 13. Look at his face, doesn't it remind you of someone?" Gunther's voice filled Ishida's ear. The voice had a hypnotic effect, when it was combined with the hallucinations Ishida was experiencing. _What's happening to me? I'm losing my mind…_

That was the last thought Ishida had before his free will was completely overcome by the nerve gas. As the mist dissipated, Ishida emerged as a changed person, his eyes now seemingly vacant, with only one goal in his mind: to kill as many hollows as he could and to crush the Shinigami.

* * *

A Seireimon gate opened in the sky above Karakura Town. A few seconds later Ichigo, Rukia and Renji exited the gate and observed the town below them as the gate closed.

"Can you feel Ishida's reiatsu?" asked Rukia. Ichigo shook his head.

"Nope, I don't feel a trace. He must be either suppressing it, or he's in a place that's blocking out spiritual signals," said Ichigo.

"I don't detect any abnormal signatures on my Danreishinki either," said Renji.

"Looks like we'll have to search for him through sight alone," said Ichigo. The three of them Shunpo-ed across Karakura Town. Ichigo sensed the spiritual pressures of Orihime and Tatsuki nearby. He and the others descended to the streets below and walked in front of a two storey house. Ichigo knocked on the door. About a minute later the door was opened by a surprised looking Orihime.

"Kurosaki-kun, Kuchiki-san, eh, Abarai-san, what are you doing here?" asked Orihime.

"We've come here to look for Ishida," said Ichigo. Orihime's eyes narrowed.

She allowed the three Shinigami inside and took them upstairs to a room where she had previously been in. As Ichigo entered he saw Tatsuki sitting beside Chad who was lying on a bed, covered with bandages around his chest.

"Ichigo, how come you're here in the living world?" asked Tatsuki. "And are these two your Shinigami friends?" Ichigo nodded.

"The three of us were sent here in response to an abnormal spiritual disturbance that occurred in the streets near my former home," said Ishida. "From the data gathered by the sensors, we concluded that it had something to do with Ishida. Do you know what happened to him? From the looks of it, Chad must have been hurt really badly." Tatsuki and Orihime hesitated for a moment, before Tatsuki decided to speak up. She explained to Ichigo, Rukia and Renji precisely what had transpired the night before, leaving out none of the details of the conservation that occurred between Ishida and the three mysterious figures. When she was finished, it took the three Shinigami some time to comprehend it all.

"So, Uryu was approached by three people who turned out to be Quincies," said Rukia. "And you said the leader of these Quincies asked Uryu to join them, and when he refused they mortally wounded Sado and threatened to kill the two of you unless he complied with their demands?" Orihime and Tatsuki nodded.

"Where is Ishida now then? Did he follow those guys?" asked Ichigo.

"I guess he probably did," said Orihime. "Tatsuki-chan and I have no idea where he might be."

"Can you at least tell us what the goals of these Quincies are? If we knew what they aim to do, we could anticipate their movements," said Renji.

"Well, I think the leader of the three said something about wanting to do something that would attract the attention of you Shinigami," said Tatsuki.

"Like killing tens of thousands of hollows?" asked Ichigo. Tatsuki and Orihime's eyes widened in shock.

"Is that what they're going to force Ishida-kun to do?" asked Orihime.

"That is the most likely scenario. The deaths of thousands of spiritual beings would have definitely attracted the attention of Soul Society," said Rukia. "If we hadn't been alerted to the threat earlier, the Gotei 13 might have only sent one Shinigami down here."

"And these Quincies might have ambushed him and forced him to open the gate to Soul Society," said Renji. "That's probably their ultimate goal."

"We've got to stop them before they attract that many hollows," said Ichigo. He looked as his Danreishinki and noticed that the radar was now showing four distinct signatures moving towards a spot a mile to the northwest.

"A mile to the northwest…" said Ichigo. He tried to remember the layout of Karakura Town. "That's where the Karakura park and gardens are right?" He pointed to the northwest.

"You're right, that's where the city gardens lie," said Tatsuki.

"Isn't there like a large open space in the middle of those gardens? Something like a shrine of some sort?" asked Orihime. Ichigo, Rukia and Renji's eyes widened in surprise.

"That must be the place where they plan to place the hollow bait," said Rukia.

"If we're quick we can stop them from placing all of the hollow bait down," said Renji.

"Let's go then," said Ichigo. The three Shinigami prepared to leave but they were stopped by Tatsuki and Orihime.

"We want to come with you!" exclaimed Tatsuki. "This is our fight too." Ichigo was personally against the two girls accompanying them but a nod and a wink from Rukia changed his mind.

"Alright, you can come with us, but don't get involved in the fighting," said Ichigo. "We won't be able to protect you if you get caught in the crossfire between us and those Quincies." With that the two humans followed the three Shinigami downstairs and onto the streets outside. Because Orihime and Tatsuki couldn't Shunpo, Ichigo, Rukia and Renji were forced to slow down to their speed.

A few minutes after they left the house, Chad, who had been sleeping soundly in Tatsuki's bedroom, opened his eyes…

* * *

Ishida and the three other Quincies finally arrived at the centre of the Karakura Memorial Park. The vast parklands and gardens that stretched for several acres were the spiritual heart of the Karakura Town, and so were the perfect place to attract the one hundred thousand hollows. Gunther had given Ishida a dozen hollow bait, which he was now carrying in his arms.

"Set the hollow bait in a one hundred metre circle around the shrine over there," said Gunther, pointing to the raised white platform nearby. Ishida nodded. Since the mysterious ritual inside the abandoned warehouse, Ishida had lost all of his free will. Now his mind was filled with a desire to follow Gunther's commands.

After fly stepping to the designated spot, Ishida grabbed the first hollow bait in his hand. The bait resembled a small coin, but its structure was quite brittle. Ishida crushed the bait, scattering its contents into the air. He swiftly moved to the next spot and prepared the second hollow bait. As he continued with the process of setting the hollow bait, the bait he had set off soon began attracting hollows from the surrounding vicinity. First only a few hollows gathered near the park, but as the bait intensified, the amount of hollows being attracted to the part grew in number. The three other Quincies, Gunther, Gutrune and Hagen, watched the entire scene unfold with great pleasure and delight.

* * *

"Shit, the hollows are already starting to gather!" swore Ichigo. "We've got to hurry!" He and the others had already crossed into the Karakura memorial park and were now running at full speed towards the open area shrine at the centre.

"Ichigo I see them now!" exclaimed Rukia. She pointed to the three figures standing in the middle of a raised white platform up ahead. "Those must be the three mysterious Quincies."

"Then where is Ishida now?" asked Ichigo. After a moment of searching he spotted him; his friend was busy grabbing hollow bait and setting them off. Ichigo recalled the last time Ishida used hollow bait. It ended up attracting thousands of hollows and eventually a Gillian class Menos Grande.

"That damn idiot! We'd better stop him from setting off any more hollow bait!" shouted Ichigo. He and Renji Shunpo-ed towards the shrine. Before following after them Rukia addressed Orihime and Tatsuki.

"Stay behind me you two! I can't let you get involved in the fighting," said Rukia.

"Let us fight Kuchik-san! We have just as much stake in this fight as you Shinigami have," said Orihime.

"Yeah, don't take us for ordinary humans with no spiritual power," said Tatsuki. "I've been training like mad for a day like this." Rukia was torn between them letting them come with her or forcing them to stay behind. Eventually she relented.

"Fine, you girls can help out in whatever ways you can. But don't over exert yourselves. You can't survive mortal wounds like we Shinigami can." With that Rukia Shunpo-ed towards the shrine.

"Come on Orihime, let's follow after her!" exclaimed Tatsuki. The two human girls ran forward as fast as they could.

"Ishida!" shouted Ichigo as he approached the shrine. His former friend heard his shout and looked up. Ishida seemed more annoyed than surprised at his appearance.

"Kurosaki.." said Ishida. Gunther, Gutrune and Hagen also noticed the Shinigami approaching, as well as the two humans running behind them.

"Gutrune, Hagen, take care of the Shinigami woman and the two human girls," said Gunther. "I'll deal with the two male Shinigami." Gutrune and Hagen nodded. They leaped into the air and flew towards Rukia, Orihime and Tatsuki. Gutrune appeared in front of Rukia, whilst Hagen landed in front of Orihime and Tatsuki. Gunther himself took action, leaping from the shrine and intercepting Ichigo and Renji's path.

"How convenient; for three Shinigami to appear here before the summoning is complete," said Gunther. "Still, I won't let you stop the summoning just yet." Ichigo and Renji hastily pulled out their swords.

"Ichigo, let me deal with this guy. You go ahead and try to stop Ishida," said Renji.

"Are you sure about that Renji? This guy looks tough," said Ichigo.

"Don't worry, I'm far stronger than you at the moment. You'll have your hands full just trying to stop your idiotic Quincy friend. Just be glad that our limiters are already removed." Ichigo smiled at Renji before he Shunpo-ed past Gunther. The old Quincy didn't bother intercepting him.

"What's wrong old man? Aren't you going to stop him?" asked Renji.

"There is no need. Your orange friend will be no match for that young Quincy," said Gunther. "You on the other hand, are a far more dangerous proposition."

As Gunther and Renji began their fight, Ichigo finally caught up with Ishida.

"I didn't think you would come here, Kurosaki," said Ishida.

"Whatever you're doing Ishida, you'd better stop it right now," said Ichigo. "Or else I'll be forced to beat you until you come to your senses."

"Heh, come to my senses? My senses have already been awakened to the truth, Kurosaki," said Ishida. His glasses flared up brightly.

* * *

Notes: Yes, the grand plan of these dark Quincies is very similar to the plan Ishida had in his 'fight' with Ichigo in Volumes 5 and 6 of the Bleach manga, although the ultimate objective is obviously different.

More backstory details regarding the Quincies in general and Ishida in particular are revealed in this chapter. Like the Gibichungs, the name Siegfried Walsung is also taken from the _Niebelungen _poem and the opera by Richard Wagner.


	23. Chapter 23: The Knuckle and the Arrow

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 23 The Knuckle and The Arrow

"Ah, I've been waiting for a chance to meet you two girls again," said Hagen. He licked his lips in a grotesque manner. A shiver went up Orihime and Tatsuki's spines.

"Orihime! Tatsuki!" shouted Rukia. She attempted to aid them but was stopped in her tracks by a flurry of arrows fired at her feet.

"Uh-uh, if you want to help those girls, you'll have to deal with me first," said Gutrune in a patronizing voice. Rukia turned to face her. She unsheathed her sword and held it in front of her. The two women stared at each other for a moment before battle was engaged.

"Ooh, looks like sister Gutrune has already gotten started," said Hagen as he watched the beginnings of the nearby battle. He turned to regard Orihime and Tatsuki. "Now then, I think it is time for me to begin my play with the two of you." He summoned a blue crossbow that attached itself to his right hand. He pointed the crossbow at them.

"Unlike other men, I prefer my woman to stay still before I have my way with them," said Hagen in an evil tone.

"You creep!" shouted Tatsuki. She was about to attack him when Orihime gripped her arm and pulled her behind her body.

"Stay behind me Tatsuki-chan," said Orihime. Tatsuki tried to protest but then she saw Hagen fire a stream of arrows at them.

"_Santen Kesshun_!" shouted Orihime. A man-sized orange triangular barrier appeared in front of Orihime. The arrows hit the barrier and dissipated, much to Hagen's surprise.

"Tch, some kind of magic spell blocked my attack huh," said Hagen. "Then I'll just have to go around it!" He used _Hirenkyaku_ to leap into the air. Tatsuki tracked his flight and realized he was going to strike them from behind.

"Oh no you don't!" shouted Tatsuki. She jumped up just as Hagen was about to land behind her. With a clenched right fist, she landed a full strength karate punch to Hagen's left cheek. The force of her blow was enough to shatter his jaw.

"Fuck!" swore Hagen as he spewed blood from his mouth. As a follow up Tatsuki raised her right leg and tried a taekwondo kick at Hagen's head. The kick failed, for before Tatsuki could make contact, her ankle was grabbed by Hagen's left hand.

"You bitch! How dare you smash my jaw!" screamed Hagen. He was still able to talk fluently despite blood dripping down his left cheek. With a bestial howl he flung Tatsuki towards the ground. _What strength_, thought Tatsuki as she fell. It took all of her effort to avoid landing on her head. Instead she landed on her bottom. The impact sent shockwaves through her entire body. Tatsuki looked up to see Hagen descend in front of her.

"This time you die," said Hagen as he pointed his crossbow at Tatsuki's face. In an instinctive reaction, Tatsuki leapt up and grabbed hold of his right arm.

"Ha, now you can't fire that bow anymore," said Tatsuki. "You're defenceless."

"Is that so?" asked Hagen. His face contorted into a menacing grin. Before Tatsuki could react, she felt a stinging pain as something penetrated her hip from behind. She looked up and saw Hagen holding something that looked like a light saber.

"Heh heh, my bow isn't my only weapon," said Hagen. He ripped the _Seele Schneider_ from Tatsuki's waist, causing a massive amount of blood to spurt out.

"You bastard…" said Tatsuki as she lost consciousness and fell onto her front.

"Tatsuki-chan!" cried Orihime. During this whole time she had been watching Tatsuki fight, unable to intervene at all, for both combatants had been moving too fast. She cursed her timidity and her lack of courage. _If I had stepped in, if I had held Tatsuki-chan, she wouldn't have been hurt like that_, thought Orihime. Her mind recalled the gruesome sight of Chad getting pierced in the chest. She banished that image and glared at Hagen, who stood triumphant over the fallen Tatsuki. _No, I won't let her die. I won't let any of my nakama suffer in front of my eyes ever again. This time, I'll fight to protect them!_

As Hagen prepared to shoot Tatsuki in the head, he felt a sudden burst of reiatsu from behind. He turned around and saw it was coming from Orihime.

"What the hell? An ordinary woman shouldn't have this much spiritual pressure!" exclaimed Hagen. Orihime held her arms in front of her body.

"I won't forgive you for hurting Tatsuki-chan," said Orihime. "And I won't show any mercy to you either! Tsubaki!" From one of the six petals in a necklace around her neck, a tiny man with scarf around his face appeared in front of Orihime.

"Are you finally prepared to kill woman?" asked Tsubaki. Orihime nodded.

"_Koten Zanshun, _I reject!" she shouted. She shot the transformed Tsubaki at Hagen's head. Before the Quincy could react, the small fairy with a razor sharp head pierced him right through the forehead and shot out the other side. Blood spurted from the gaping hole as Hagen's eyes rolled up into his skull. He collapsed onto his back and ceased to trembled from head to toe. The shock and realization that she had actually killed someone caused her entire mind to go blank for a moment. But then she snapped back to reality and rushed over to Tatsuki's side. She inspected her friend's body and saw she was in a serious condition. There was a gaping hole near her hips from which a copious amount of blood flowed.

"I'm going to save you Tatsuki-chan," said Orihime. She placed her hands on Tatsuki's back and chanted "_Soten Kesshun_". An oval shaped dome covered Tatsuki's body, as Orihime applied her spiritual energy into healing her.

* * *

At this moment, high up in the air above them, Rukia had observed Orihime's killing of Hagen as she was fighting the female Quincy Gutrune. _Looks like Inoue is taking care of Tatsuki_, thought Rukia. Her brief moment distracted caused her to almost get hit by a spray of arrows from Gutrune, who was now visibly enraged.

"Those bitches! I can't believe that killed my darling Hagen!" screamed Gutrune. "I'm going to make them pay, just after I kill you in a quick and brutal manner!"

"Oh, I thought you wanted to toy with me before you finished me off," said Rukia in a sly manner. "What brought about the change?" She quickly dodged an arrow aimed at her head.

"Shut up! I don't want a Shinigami whore like you talking back at me!" shouted Gutrune. She pointed her bow at Rukia and chanted "_Licht Regen_!" A volley of more than a hundred arrows starting coming out of her bow at gradually increasing speed. Initially Rukia was able to dodge them but eventually they got fast enough that several of those arrows managed to graze her cheeks, arms and legs, causing minor blood cuts.

"Ugh," grunted Rukia. To avoid being overwhelmed she land on the ground again and held her sword with both hands in front of her.

"Hado 58, _Tenran_!" shouted Rukia. A miniature tornado shot out from the blade and intercepted the incoming volley of arrows, blowing them back towards Gutrune.

"You think you can use my arrows against me? Well think again!" shouted Gutrune. She charged her bow and instead of firing hundreds of small arrows she now fired several massive arrows at Rukia. Rukia jumped into the air in an attempt to avoid being hit but was surprised to see the arrows following her movement. _Homing arrows!_ As the arrows closed in on her, Rukia was forced to make a quick tactical decision. She chanted "Bakudo 39, _Enkosen_!" and created a yellow circular shield in front her body. The shield managed to deflect most of the arrows, but one of the homing arrows penetrated the shield and impaled Rukia by the side of her waist. Rukia grimaced in pain as she pulled the arrow out, causing blood to flow from the wound.

"Ha, ha, ha, you're finished Shinigami!" laughed Gutrune. In her elation, the Quincy made an error of judgment. Instead of staying back and firing another set of homing arrows at Rukia again, she grabbed a _Seele Schneider_ from her waist and moved in to kill the Shinigami using her own hands. Rukia sensed the error immediately and smiled.

"You've made a big mistake, Quincy," said Rukia. She pointed her left hand at Gutrune. "Bakudo 63, _Sajo Sabaku_!" An instant later Gutrune's body was bound from her shoulders down to her waist by four solid yellow spiritual chains that were almost impossible to break. With her arms and legs bound, Gutrune couldn't even move.

"What is this? What have you done to me?" asked Gutrune. She struggled to break free of the chains. She saw Rukia fly up to be level with her.

"You shouldn't have charged in to finish me," said Rukia. "Had you stayed where you were I might have lost, but the instant you closed the distance between us you surrendered any advantage you had. After all, you Quincies are long range projectile users. In a close range melee fight, you're simply not our equal." Rukia spun her Zanpakuto in a circle in front her, chanting "Dance, _Sode no Shirayuki_!" Her Zanpakuto transformed into a katana of pure white and grew a long white tassel at the end of its pommel. Gutrune could do nothing but stare at it in awe.

Rukia then proceeded to stab the air in a semi circle in front of her body four times before holding her sword with both hands and pointing it at Gutrune. The trails of snow she created with her stabs coalesced in front of the blade.

"_Tsugi no Mai_, _Hakuren_!" shouted Rukia. She fired a massive blast of ice and snow from the tip of her Zanpakuto. The blast quickly engulfed the hapless Gutrune, and in an instant the Quincy was encased in a solid tomb of ice. A second later the ice structure shattered, its pieces falling to the ground below, along with the remnants of Gutrune's body.

"What a shame; to throw away your life so senselessly," said Rukia as she sealed her Zanpakuto and placed it back into her scabbard. She then dropped to the ground and ran to assist Orihime.

Ichigo barely managed to fend off a stream of arrows from Ishida by using _Zangetsu_ as a shield. He already had a nasty wound on his forehead after an arrow narrowly missed impaling him in the skull.

"What's the matter Kurosaki?" asked Ishida. "Have your reflexes dulled, or am I simply far stronger than you right now?"

"Shut up!" shouted Ichigo. He gripped _Zangetsu_ with both hands and fired a _Getsuga Tensho_ blast at Ishida. Ishida easily dodged the attack and watched as it harmlessly exploded in the distance.

"Is that your full power Kurosaki? I'm disappointed. You were much stronger than this when you stormed Soul Society to save Kuchiki. What happened to that strength of yours? Did it disappear from you lost your powers?"

* * *

Ichigo panted heavily. He had fired the _Getsuga Tensho_ at full power, and knew that if the attack had hit Ishida would have been injured. But the difference in speed between them was simply too great._ Shit, Ishida's right_, thought Ichigo. _Without my Bankai, my Shunpo is just of average quality, and I no longer have a massive amount of reiatsu to tank his attacks. _Ichigo considered his options. He knew it was pointless to fire more _Getsuga Tenshos_ at Ishida, but he also knew that it would be impossible for him to go into melee range. _Alright, the only option I have left is Kido, but it's going to take a miracle to pull it off. Here goes nothing_!

Ichigo sprung up and started running in a circle around Ishida. Ishida fired another volley of arrows in Ichigo's direction but Ichigo then started doing flash steps, causing the arrows to miss him. Ishida wondered what was going on in Ichigo's head.

"What are you doing Kurosaki? Are you just going to run circles around me? Is that a sign you've given up?" asked Ishida.

"No, I haven't given up yet," retorted Ichigo. Ishida bristled at Ichigo's comment and fired a much stronger arrow at Ichigo's head. Ichigo swatted the arrow away with his sword.

"If I can't catch you with my arrows, then I shall catch you with my blade instead!" exclaimed Ishida. He pulled out a _Seele Schneider_ hanging from his waist pocket and brandished it with his left hand. With the blazing blue blade of energy in his hand, Ishida flew towards Ichigo in an attempt to cut off his retreat. He raised his _Seele Schneider_ over his head and was about to slash at Ichigo's head when both of his arms were suddenly bound by a crackling yellow rope.

"What is this?" asked Ishida as he tried to break free of the rope.

"Bakudo 4, _Hainawa_," said Ichigo. I cast it silently the moment you tried to attack me with your light saber. I've been waiting for this moment." He raised _Zangetsu_ above his head and brought it down upon Ishida's chest region. To Ichigo's shock, his attack was blocked at the last second by Ishida's glowing blue energy blade.

"That was a nice trick Kurosaki," said Ishida. "It seems you have become far more versatile than you were before. But such tricks are no substitute for raw power. Did you really think that weak binding spell could hold me for long?" Before Ichigo could retreat backwards, Ishida shrunk his bow to a miniature size and pointed it at Ichigo's waist. He then fired an arrow straight through Ichigo's stomach. Ichigo gasped in pain and spewed blood from his mouth. He flash stepped back ten metres from Ishida and clutched his waist with his left hand. He felt blood flowing out of the wound.

_I had no idea Ishida was this strong_, thought Ichigo. _I don't stand a chance against him_. Beads of sweat poured down the back of his neck. _What do I do now?_ He saw Ishida point his full size bow at him.

"This is it Kurosaki. We may have been friends before but now I consider you to be my enemy," said Ishida.

"Why Ishida? Why have you suddenly changed like this?" asked Ichigo. "What made you abandon your friends? I thought you got over your grudge against the Shinigami for killing your grandfather?"

"Gotten over my grudge? You've got to be joking Kurosaki," said Ishida in reply. "I never once considered Shinigami to be my friends. I only worked with Soul Society in the Arrancar War to defend Karakura Town against Aizen and the hollows, who were the greater threat. Once they were gone, there was no need for me to treat Soul Society as an ally. And as for you, Kurosaki, I only considered you my friend because you were different from the other Shinigami. You were a human who gained Shinigami powers and dared to challenge the established order. But now, you're just an ordinary Shinigami and you're part of the order I detest so much! So that makes you one of my enemies!"

Ichigo tried to make an response to Ishida's rant but he found he couldn't. Ishida's logic was impeccable. _He's right, I am just a run of the mill Shinigami now_, thought Ichigo. _I'm the very symbol that he detests. _Unable to speak, unable to even move, Ichigo could only watch as Ishida slotted the _Seele Schneider_ into his bow like a giant arrow.

"Sayonara, Kurosaki," said Ishida. Ichigo closed his eyes and braced himself for the inevitable result as he heard Ishida let loose the humungous arrow.

The arrow never hit Ichigo's head. Instead, he heard it slam into something solid and dissipate. Ichigo opened his eyes and saw an unexpected figure standing in front of him. It was Chad. His old friend was still covered with bandages, but he had regained enough of his strength to summon the shield version of his upgraded right arm.

"Chad!" exclaimed Ichigo. "I thought you were still recuperating."

"I'm alright Ichigo," said Chad. "My injuries have all healed. I was merely pretending to be recuperating. I heard everything that you, Orihime and Tatsuki discussed about Ishida and those Quincies." Chad stood up and stared at Ishida, who was now visibly distressed.

"Why have you come here Sado? And why have you defended Kurosaki?" asked Ishida. "Can't you tell that he is the enemy?"

"I'm disappointed in you Ishida," said Chad. "I thought you had enough sense not to get seduced by those Quincies' words. Was everything that you said to them last night a lie?"

"What would you know Sado? You were half dead when I was forced to make my choice? Do you know how I felt then?" Ishida's voice was now tinged with anger and rage. Chad bowed his head in regret.

"I don't know what's happened to you Ishida, but I'm going to knock some sense into that thickheaded skull of yours," said Chad. "With my _Brazo Derecha de Gigante_." He clenched his right arm's hand in a fist.

"Wait a moment Chad. Let me assist you," said Ichigo. He struggled to his feet.

"You're seriously injured Ichigo. You should rest for a while," said Chad. "I can handle him by myself."

"That maybe so, but I know a way to beat him." Ichigo whispered his plan into Chad's ear. After he heard it, Chad nodded in agreement.

"It's a good plan Ichigo. I'll make sure to keep him off your back," said Chad.

"Are you done with your chit-chat already?" asked Ishida. He fired a volley of arrows at Ichigo and Chad. Chad blocked them all with his right arm and proceeded to charge at Ishida. He thrust his right arm forward and fired a powerful blue energy blast at Ishida. Ishida jumped into the air to dodge the attack and fired another volley of arrows at Chad. The arrows pierced penetrated Chad's guard and cut him in the shoulders and chest, but the wounds he suffered were superficial. Chad proceeded to jump into the air as well. He fired another energy blast at Ishida. This one came closer to hitting Ishida, as the Quincy had to resort to _Hirenkyaku_ to dodge the full extent of the attack.

"Tch, when did you get so fast?" asked Ishida.

"I've always been this fast, ever since our journey to Hueco Mundo," Chad replied. "You just never noticed it, for you never saw me fight after we entered Las Noches."

"Well, no matter. You still can't match my speed!" shouted Ishida in a boastful manner. He started performing numerous _Hirenkyaku_ steps around Chad, flying around so fast he created multiple shadow images. As he did so Ishida continued firing arrows. Chad was fast enough to block most of the arrows heading directly for him, and dodged the arrows that he couldn't block. As he defended against Ishida, he subtly altered his position so that he headed away from Ichigo, who was in the midst of casting a complex incantation.

"You're finished Sado!" shouted Ishida as he got out another _Seele Schneider_ and slotted it into his bow. Chad waited until Ishida's back was turned to Ichigo; then he gave his signal to Ichigo by firing an energy blast into the air. As Ishida wondered why Chad would waste an attack, Ichigo had already finished his incantation.

"Take this Ishida, Bakudo 61, _Rikujokorou_!" chanted Ichigo. Before Ishida could react he was impaled in the waist by six rectangular rods of light that completely immobilized his body.

"Shit, I can't move!" swore Ishida.

"Do it now Chad!" called Ichigo. At this moment Chad summoned his left arm, the _Brazo Izquierda del Diablo_, and with a clenched left fist he punched Ishida hard in the stomach, calling out "_La Muerte_" as he did so. Chad's punch sent a massive shockwave right through Ishida's body, and caused the ground around them to be deformed into the shape of a fearsome looking skull. The punch was so hard that it shattered Ichigo's binding spell and sent Ishida flying backwards for nearly a hundred metres before he came to a skidding halt.

Chad unsummoned both his armoured arms before walking towards Ishida. He was joined by Ichigo, who was now completely exhausted, having spent a significant portion of his spirit energy in casting that binding spell. The two of them walked beside Ishida, who looked to be knocked out from Chad's punch. However, Ishida was able to regain unconsciousness. The Quincy looked up at his former friends who had defeated him. His eyes were no longer the bloodshot eyes of a murderous killer, but the pain stricken eyes of someone who had hurt his friends terribly.

"I'm…so sorry, Kurosaki, Sado," croaked Ishida. He coughed up blood from his mouth. "I've acted like…a complete fool. I should never have listened to those…Quincies."

"We don't blame you Ishida. It wasn't your fault that you got lured to the dark side," said Chad. "Had you not surrendered yourself to them, Orihime and Tatsuki may well have died."

"But, I was so easily…seduced by their words," protested Ishida.

"Don't worry about it Ishida. I've experienced the sensation of being manipulated by hypnotic words before, and believe me it is hard to resist being sucked in by it," said Ichigo. He remembered the absolute mind rape he suffered at the hands of Aizen Sousuke when he discovered that he had been nothing more than the latter's pawn. Ichigo and Chad helped Ishida onto his feet. As he stood up, Ishida coughed up blood again; Chad's last attack had ruptured most of his intestines.

"Because of my brief period of madness, the whole of Karakura Town is endangered," said Ishida. He pointed to the sky, where thousands of hollows had already gathered, and more were appearing through numerous small garganta.

"No need to fear. Before we came here, we received assurances that the patrol corps of the Onimitsukidou would be deployed here to deal with any excess hollows. Now, all we have to worry about is those three enemy Quincies," said Ichigo.

"It looks like Rukia, Orihime and Tatsuki have already taken care of the two other Quincies," said Chad.

"Then that only leaves the leader of the Quincies," said Ichigo. "Renji is fighting him now. It shouldn't take him too long to deal with him."

"Don't underestimate Gunther. I felt his true power," said Ishida. "He's far stronger than I have. He might even be as strong as my father. If Abarai loses, then none of us will be able to stop Gunther from succeeding in his goals."

"Then we have to pin all our hopes on him then," said Ichigo.

* * *

Notes: This chapter is sort of a fan service for fans of Ichigo's group, as every one of Ichigo's Karakura friends gets their chance in the spotlight. I hope readers will find Orihime and Tatsuki's scene especially pleasing, for both of them do things that they never did in the manga.


	24. Chapter 24: Pride of the Quincy

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 24 Pride of the Quincy

Renji swung his released Zanpakuto _Zabimaru_ at Gunther as hard as he could. The Elder Quincy batted it away with the _Seele Schneider_ he was holding in his left hand.

"Damn it," said Renji. He had been fighting with Gunther for nigh on ten minutes and had failed to even scratch him. He on the other hand, was already covered in bruises and cuts after being pelted with numerous small arrows.

"What is the matter Shinigami? Have you reached your limit already?" asked Gunther.

"Hardly. I've got a long way to yet," said Renji in response.

"Good, because I'd be disappointed if that is all you have." Gunther fired a volley of small arrows at Renji again. Renji could barely manage to Shunpo out of the way, and despite his best efforts he was grazed on his left ankle by one the arrows.

_Shit, I'm going to get killed if I fight like this_, thought Renji. _My Shikai is too short and slow to reach him, and I suck at Kido…I guess I have no choice but to use it_. Renji retracted his Zanpakuto and brought it behind his body.

"Bankai!" he shouted. The multi-segmented blade transformed into a gigantic skeletal snake, its long body made up of dozens of tan coloured bone segments. The head of the snake was a massive skull twice the size of a normal man, with four razor sharp teeth and a flowing red mane. The tail end of the snake tapered into a prehensile handle that was held by Renji. Renji's look had also changed. He now wore a light red fur cowl that wrapped around his neck and his shoulders, and upon his left shoulder was an ape skull.

"Is that your Bankai?" asked Gunther.

"Yes, this is my Bankai, _Hihio Zabimaru_," replied Renji.

"Pretty impressive. But I wonder how powerful it is."

"Then why don't I show you?" Renji twisted the prehensile tail of the snake and in an almost telepathic connection the snake responded to his commands. It shot towards Gunther at lightning fast speeds. Unable to get out of the way, Gunther tried to cut the snake's skull with his _Seele Schneider_. The blue energy blade barely made a dent, and the snake sent Gunther crashing into the ground with thundering force.

Renji retracted his snake and waited for the dust to clear. The snake's impact with the ground created a small crater, in the middle of which lay Gunther. The elder Quincy was now battered and bruised, with blood flowing from his mouth. Gunther managed to stand up again and glared at Renji, his eyes now completely bloodshot.

"Play time is now over," said Gunther in a murderous voice. "I'm going to shoot you to shreds Shinigami, and then I'm going to kill your comrades one by one. And I'm going to kill Ishida Uryu too, for betraying me."

"What, you're going to kill your erstwhile ally?" asked Renji.

"He was never my ally; just a pawn that I thought I could use to further my plans," said Gunther. "I, as the patriarch of the Gibichungs, will take up the legacy that the legendary Quincy Siegfriend Walsung left behind!"

_What a sick bastard, _thought Renji. _He must be completely delusional_. He watched as Gunther's bow enlarged in size, and transformed into a giant repeating crossbow.

"_Licht Regen_!" shouted Gunther. He fired thousands of arrows from the crossbow, all of them much larger than the ones he had previously fired. Renji hastily wrapped _Hihio Zabimaru_ around his body and hoped the giant snake would deflect most of the arrows. As the arrows pounded the snake, some of them succeeded in breaking through the snake's segments and struck Renji in the waist. Renji grunted in pain as he quickly pulled the arrows out, causing blood to flow from the wounds.

When Gunther stopped firing nearly a minute later, the giant snake lay in a pile of pieces on the ground and Renji was panting heavily, having been pierced by arrows in several places around his torso.

"Looks like this is my victory," said Gunther. "Your Bankai has been broken and you are in no shape to fight anymore." The Quincy pulled out another _Seele Schneider_ from his pocket and walked towards Renji. "I'm going to chop of your head so that you will have no chance of survival." Renji watched as Gunther walked towards him. A smile suddenly went up on Renji's face.

"I'm in no shape to fight anymore?" asked Renji. "Isn't that claim a little premature?" With that Renji Shunpo-ed right in front of Gunther, whilst using the power of his spirit energy alone he lifted all of the giant snake's segments into the air and brought them towards himself. The segments reformed and the giant snake wrapped itself around both Renji and Gunther.

"What is this? I thought your Bankai was shattered!" exclaimed Gunther.

"You might assume that was the case, but my _Hihio Zabimaru_ is resilient enough not to be shattered so easily," said Renji. All you did was to separate my giant snake into individual segments. However, all of the segments are linked with my reiryoku, so I can control them with my mind alone. It is a simple matter to separate and reform the segments. The fact that you assumed I was defeated was a monumental error on your part. You let your guard down." With that Renji brought the giant snake's head close to Gunther's body. Gunther's eyes widened in terror as he saw the mouth of the snake opened up.

"It is over Quincy," said Renji. "_Hikotsu Taiho_!" A giant red ball of energy appeared in the giant snake's mouth and a second later the snake's head fired a massive red energy blast at point blank range. The blast completely engulfed Gunther, and the giant snake itself. It shot across the ground before dissipating, leaving a half mile long scar in the ground. Because the giant snake also bore the brunt of its own attack, its pieces were scattered everywhere. This time, Renji was unable to reform his Bankai, as he was completely drained of his spirit energy. Panting heavily, he returned his Zanpakuto to its sealed state and walked over to inspect the damage he had caused.

Lying at the very beginning of the scar in the ground was Gunther, whose face and shoulders had been horribly burnt almost beyond recognition. The blast had also torn off most his upper body's clothing. Renji was about to inspect Gunther's body to check if he was dead when the Quincy screamed out in rage and struggled to his feet.

"HOW DARE YOU MESS WITH ME SHINIGAMI?" screamed Gunther in the most terrifying voice Renji had ever heard. "I WILL MAKE YOU PAY! I WILL MAKE ALL THE SHINIGAMI PAY! I WILL MAKE THE WHOLE WORLD PAY!"

_How can he even be standing?_ Renji wondered. But then he saw bundles of spirit thread wrap around Gunther's head, shoulders and torso, covering him like a mummy. Renji watched as Gunther ascended high into the sky. When he was about fifty metres above the ground, Gunther grabbed the wristband around his left arm.

"I had planned on keeping this until I reached the Soul Society, but you leave me no choice but to use it!" shouted Gunther. Renji looked on in awe as Gunther shattered the wristband. An instant later a massive blue aura engulfed Gunther's body. The aura was immediately noticed by everyone in the vicinity, and Ichigo, Ishida, Chad and Rukia all rushed beside Renji.

"What is that aura?" asked Ichigo.

"I feel an incredible amount of reiatsu coming from it," said Rukia.

"That's…_Quincy Letzt Stil_," said Ishida in a trembling voice.

"_Quincy Letzt Stil_?" asked Renji. "What is that?"

"It's the ultimate final form that a Quincy can attain," explained Ishida. "It is the absolute pinnacle of a Quincy's powers. In that state, a Quincy is able to break the very bonds holding spiritual and real matter together and absorb it into their bodies, converting it into an incredible amount of energy."

"Like nuclear fusion?" asked Chad.

"Yeah, something like that. In any case, I think we've lost any chance of winning. If Gunther was as strong as a lieutenant before, his power will increase exponentially. He might be stronger than any captain." Ichigo and the others took in Ishida's words as they watched the blue aura dissipate. The figure of Gunther emerged, now completely transformed. He was wearing some kind of armour over both his shoulders, whilst the rest of his torso was covered by a much more elaborate Quincy outfit. A blue flame like quiver hung out from his right shoulder, from which the reishi of the entire surrounding area was being drawn in as if attracted by an invisible gravitational force.

"Bwa ha, ha, ha, this is it you Shinigami and humans!" laughed Gunther. "I will kill you all!" With his left hand he started concentrating the reiryoku from the quiver into a solid white arrow. When the arrow finished forming he slotted into his bow and prepared to fire at everyone below him.

"Goodbye!" shouted Gunther. Ichigo and the others braced themselves for the worst possible outcome, but before Gunther could fire his massive arrow he was suddenly shot through the head by an arrow from nowhere. His armour, his bow and the arrow he was holding all disintegrated as his Quincy Final Form disappeared. Then he fell, crashing into the ground with a sickening thud.

"What the hell just happened?" asked Ichigo. The others were wondering the exact same question. Their question was answered when they heard a voice nearby.

"Tsk, tsk, what an awful looking scene this is," said a voice that Ishida instantly recognised. Then from out of a set of trees emerged a familiar looking man with pale silver hair, glasses and a grey business jacket, blue shirt and grey pants. He almost identical to Ishida, except for the fact he looked noticeably older. The only person who recognised him was Ishida himself.

"Father!" he exclaimed. The others all regarded Ishida and then the stranger with shocked faces. The silver haired man walked towards him.

"What a homecoming to receive," said Ishida Ryuken, Ishida's father. "Instead of my son greeting me at the front door of his house, I instead find him joining a gang of renegade Quincies and fighting his nakama." Ishida bowed his head in shame.

"I've been a fool, father," he said. "I've disobeyed your orders and got myself involved with the Shinigami again."

"I'll let you off this time," said Ryuken. "A man of Gunther Gibichung's power and influence would be difficult for anyone to deal with. It is little wonder that you got yourself involved in he and his family's nefarious plans. Still, I am amazed that you went to the lengths you did, going as far as to fight and wound your nakama."

"I, I was partly corrupted by one of Gunther's rituals, but I was also acting under the assumption that you were dead. Gunther had told me you were killed by Kurosaki's father." Ishida handed his father the photo Gunther had given him. Ryuken took one look at the photo and shook his head.

"You shouldn't have been so naïve Uryu," said Ryuken. "Did you honestly think this photo was genuine? It's clearly a doctored image. I remember this moment well. Gunther and his two siblings deliberately ambushed and me whilst I was alone and Gunther took this photo of himself standing over me, making it appear as if he had killed me. But I was hardly dying at that time. My wounds were serious by Kurosaki Isshin was quick to rescue me after driving Gunther and his family off."

"So then you really were with my father, um, Ishida's dad," said Ichigo. "Could you tell me then what he's been up to all this time?"

"I am afraid I cannot, Kurosaki Ichigo," said Ryuken. "Your father made me swear on my life that I would never tell anyone, even his own family, about his activities. I can only reveal that your father is still alive and well, at least the last time I saw him."

"Oh, I see," said Ichigo. He had hoped that he would finally come a step closer to finding out the reasons behind his father's sudden disappearance three years ago. He wasn't devastated by Ryuken's words, only slightly disappointed.

"Are you Shinigami going to do anything about the masses of hollows gathering in the sky above?" asked Ryuken. "I have no desire to kill them, as doing so will erase their souls from existence."

"A clean up team will probably come here pretty soon and purify those hollows," said Rukia. "It's a good thing that none of them were killed yet."

"Very well then, I leave the rest to you Shinigami," said Ryuken. He turned his back to them and started walking away. "Come along Uryu. We've got a lot of business to sort out."

"Just wait a moment dad," said Ishida. He stared at Ichigo, Rukia and Renji. "Before I go, I want to apologize for my actions, Kurosaki, Kuchiki, Abarai. I've made some terrible decisions during these past twenty four hours, and I've put the lives of my nakama at risk. I owe a great debt to you that I don't know if I can repay. Had you Shinigami not come, I may have well lost my free will indefinitely."

"You don't need to apologize Ishida," said Ichigo. "No matter how much we've changed over the years, we're still nakama. Helping each other in our time of need is what nakama are for. I know the rift between the Quincies and the Shinigami may never be repaired, but I hope that our friendship still stays strong, even if we take divergent paths."

"Of course, I'll make sure it does Kurosaki," said Ishida. "If you ever need my help in any situation, I'll be sure to come to your aid." With that Ishida bid Ichigo farewell and caught up to his father. As they disappeared Ichigo, Rukia and Renji also made preparations to leave. Before they did, Ichigo and Rukia went beside Orihime and Tatsuki.

"Is Tatsuki going to be okay Inoue?" asked Ichigo. Orihime nodded.

"I've healed her injuries. All she needs is time to recover her strength," said Orihime. As she lifted the _Soten Kesshun_ shield from Tatsuki's body, Chad lifted Tatsuki up and placed her over his shoulders.

"We'll be able to take care of ourselves from here on in," said Chad.

"Thank you for everything you've done for us Kurosaki-kun, Kuchiki-san," said Orihime. "It was because of you that you brought Ishida-kun back."

"No need to thank us. We were just doing our job," said Rukia.

"Come on, it's time for us to head back," said Renji. He opened a Seireimon gate.

"Can you promise to visit us more often Kurosaki-kun?" asked Orihime.

"I'll try to, Inoue," said Ichigo with a smile. With that, the three Shinigami stepped through the Seireimon and then the spirit closed behind them and disappeared.

"We should head back home too," said Orihime. Chad nodded. With Tatsuki on his back, he and Orihime walked out of the park and towards Tatsuki's house. The long day was finally over.

* * *

Ishida and his father arrived back at Ishida's apartment complex. The two of them entered the front door and walked into the dining room. Ryuken quickly got out a cigarette and lit it, whilst Ishida went upstairs and changed out of the Quincy attire he had been wearing. During their trip home Ryuken had healed the wounds Ishida had suffered, although the residue cramps from having his intestines turned to mush was still present.

Ishida went downstairs again and started preparing the evening meal. As he did so, he began to chat with his father.

"Father, I want to ask you some questions about our Quincy ancestry," said Ishida. "I know Jii-san told me lots of colouful stories about the Quincy wars and stuff, but Gunther told me things about the past that I never knew, and he and his siblings conducted a strange ritual that hypnotized me into joining them." Ryuken looked up at his son as he dampened his cigarette on an ashtray.

"Let me guess, you want me to talk about the Niebelung," said Ryuken.

"The Niebelung?" asked Ishida.

"That is the organisation founded by the Quincy Siegfriend Walsung, and comprised the largest concentration of Quincies ever in recorded history. It was also the organisation that waged the Quincy wars against the Shinigami."

"Who was Siegfried Walsung? I've heard stories about him from Jii-san, but I always assumed he was a mythical figure until I met Gunther."

"Siegfried Walsung was perhaps the most powerful Quincy who ever lived. He was the scion of the great Sigurd Walsung, who singlehandedly killed a Vasto Lorde class menos hollow. His family, the Walsungs, were the descendents of the first Quincies, humans with abnormally high spiritual powers, who were said to be products of unions between Shinigami and humans countless millennia ago. Even amongst his family, Siegfried's power was unique. He had an ability to manipulate reishi far beyond other Quincy, and he also had a strong sense of pride and justice."

"Is that what motivated him to start a crusade against Soul Society?" asked Ishida.

"That was partly the reason. You might not have known this, but the Soul Society only covers about half of the real world's surface, mainly over the Asia-Pacific region. The other half of the real world is covered by the realm of Hueco Mundo. Spirits who die in places such as Europe had no place of solace and so they all became hollows. The Walsungs, like other Quincies, were painfully aware of this fact, and wished that the Shinigami would do something about the hollows that were constantly plaguing their everyday lives. Only Siegfried however, had the visionary idea of doing what the Shinigami could not. He persuaded his family and numerous other Quincies that they could do a better job at exterminating the hollows than the Shinigami could. Convinced that he was a descendent of the gods, Siegfried and his followers formed the organization called the Niebelung. Their primary means of inducting new members was the ritual that Gunther probably made you undergo."

"So Siegfried turned all of his fellow Quincies into mindless hollow killing fanatics?" Ishida wad disgusted by the implications of this, but his father nodded.

"Only your grandfather's family was spared the corruption that Siegfried inflicted upon his fellow Quincies when they fled to America during the 18th century," said Ryuken. "Just as the French Revolution overturned the order of the real world, Siegfried's followers overturned the order of the spiritual world. Over the course of two decades, the Niebelung scoured Europe, slaughtering as many hollows as they could. Millions of hollows were killed, and the resulting imbalance of spirits attracted the attention of Soul Society. A group of Shinigami were sent to persuade Siegfried's followers to stop killing hollows, but Siegfried killed the Shinigami, thereby sparking war between the Shinigami and the Quincy. The retaliation of Soul Society was swift and brutal. Nearly half of the forces of the Gotei 13 were sent to the real world, and they methodically exterminated each and every Quincy they encountered."

"What happened to Siegfried then? If he was as powerful as you say, did he put up a struggle against the Shinigami?"

"He certainly did. In depths of central Russia, he made his last stand. As the first Quincy to ever go _Quincy Letzt Stil_, he fought and killed several captains before he was finally brought down by the Gotei 13's Captain Commander in a titanic battle that made a vast swathe of land spiritually barren. With Siegfried's death, the power of the Niebelung was broken, and the remainder of the Quincies were utterly exterminated."

"But some Quincies did survive the massacre right? I mean, Gunther said I had the blood of the Walsungs in my veins. Is that really true dad?" asked Ishida. At this, Ryuken started chuckling.

"I knew Gunther would use that fact against you; perhaps I should have told you this when you were a child," said Ryuken. "Yes, it is true; you and I are descended from the Walsungs. A small remnant of that family survived the Quincy massacre and lived out their lives in Germany, just like the Gibichungs. But when the Nazis took power, they became victims of the eventual holocaust. The last surviving Walsung, a young woman, managed to flee to America prior to the Second World War. It was there that she met your grandfather, Ishida Soken, a Japanese American."

"So that means my grandmother was a Walsung?" asked Ishida. Ryuken nodded.

"The combination of the blood of the two greatest Quincy families in my veins was what justified me taking on the title of the Last Quincy. It was a title that I detested, for I was ashamed by my mother's dark history. It was also a reason why I strongly insisted that you never became a Quincy yourself. For I had vowed that with my death, the cursed bloodline of the Walsungs would finally be extinguished."

"I see, so that is why you always said you had no interest in being a Quincy, and why always scolded me about listening to Jii-san," said Ishida. He watched as his father lit another cigarette and smoked it.

"I guess I'm not as angry about you disobeying my orders as I was before," said Ryuken. "You are certainly mature enough not to throw away your life and powers as you did when you were young. It's unfortunate that you had to confront our race's darkest past head on. At least, now that the Gibichungs are dead, the legacy of the Niebelung is finally over."

"I'm happy that you were able to tell me about all of this dad. It finally lays to rest the ingrained resentment I've had for the Shinigami," said Ishida. "From now on, I'll on concentrate on just being an ordinary human." With that, father and son started planning on how they would rebuild their broken lives.

* * *

In a dark cavern, somewhere in Soul Society's Rukongai, a man wearing a black cloak with a hood over his head, and two insect like wings growing out of his back, approached two other figures that were standing in a large ritual circle. One of the other figures was a man with dashing silver hair, perpetually closed eyes and slit nostrils where a nose should have been. The other figure was a woman wearing a red kimono and with black hair bunched up with a hairpin.

"I'm back from my mission to the real world, mistress," said the hooded man.

"Oh, how was it? What did you encounter over there?" asked the woman.

"It transpired exactly as you predicted. Those shadow Quincies are all dead, but the ritual circle they used is still active."

"Good, as long as the necessary souls are still present, then our plan is moving along nicely," said the woman.

"Why don't we just execute our ultimate goal right away?" asked the man with the silver hair.

"Patience. We can't over extend ourselves yet. Those old farts in Seireitei must not know about us until the moment is ripe. We still have a few months of preparation ahead of us."

"Ah, that's such a pity. We've expended a lot of underlings too."

"Those were just pawns to further our plans. The stage is almost set. Soon we shall set into motion a plan that will bring Soul Society to its knees, and finally accomplish what our masters could not do." With the woman's last words, the three figures left the cave in different directions, the only thoughts in their minds being how to accomplish the nefarious schemes they had envisaged.

* * *

Notes: The Shadow Quincy mini arc concludes this chapter with the return of Ryuken. Readers keen to know where he's gone will have to wait a long while, as his journey alongside Isshin relates to an important development later in the story. This chapter does provide more background history on the Quincies and Ishida's family. The link Ishida shares with Siegfried Walsung will become important later on, but this chapter wraps up the focus on the Karakura gang for now.

The next chapter will see a return to Seireitei, and the beginning of a much larger story arc. I won't spoil anything, save to say that the next chapter will feature a shocking surprise.


	25. Chapter 25: Breakdown of the Scientist

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

Chapter 25 Breakdown of the Scientist

"Here are the documents you requested captain," said Ichigo, as he plunked a huge pile of papers upon Shinji's desk. "All of them have been completed." Shinji, the captain of the 5th division, took a glance at the top of the pile and smiled.

"You certainly are efficient Ichigo. You've done them quicker than I expected," said Shinji. "It's a pity I can't say the same about Sarugaki-san over there." He jabbed a finger towards his left, where Hiyori was carrying around a stack of documents awkwardly. She accidentally tripped over a book and fell, causing the entire pile to land messily beside her.

"Ah stuff this!" swore Hiyori. "I quit this boring job!"

"Now, now, Hiyori-san, don't go crying over spilt milk," said Shinji. "If Kurosaki could finish his work in time, you should be able to as well."

"Liar! You purposely give me extra work so that I'm forced to finish late!" shouted Hiyori as she pointed a finger at Shinji. Ichigo watched the pair squabble in amusement. He had grown used to Shinji and Hiyori's antics, and had come to regard them both as he close friends.

"Captain, do you mind if I take some time out?" asked Ichigo.

"Sure thing. It's a reward for finishing early," said Shinji. "You just leave me to sort out Hiyori-san's problems." Ichigo smiled as he left the captain's office, still hearing the sounds of Hiyori and Shinji's squabbling. He walked through the grounds of the 5th division barracks and headed for the front entrance. The division guards there greeted him as he passed through. Ichigo flash stepped towards the Shiba Manor. It had been nearly six months since he had discovered he was not only a member of the Shiba Family, but was also the new head. It had been more than eight months since he had joined the Gotei 13 as the 5th division's 3rd seat. In that time he had come to regard Seireitei as his home, in the same way Karakura Town had been his previous home. He had also grown accustomed to his powers. Though he was nowhere near as powerful as he was when he was a Substitute Shinigami, he made up for his decreased power for a wealth of increased combat experience and level headedness. He had received an award from the Captain Commander himself for his success in his mission to the real world five months ago, where he, Rukia and Renji had stopped a group of rogue Quincy from upsetting the balance between dimensions and brought his human friend Ishida Uryu to his senses.

Ichigo arrived at the front gates of the Shiba Manor a few minutes later. He unlocked the gates and walked through, passing the vast front courtyard of the manor. He went around the left side of the manor grounds before he reached the residential quarters at far end. Upon entering the living room, he was greeted with hugs by his two sisters, Karin and Yuzu.

"Welcome home Onii-chan!" they both exclaimed. Ichigo smiled. He was pleased with their growth over the past eight months. They no longer looked like girls anymore, but full grown, beautiful woman.

"How was school Yuzu, Karin?" asked Ichigo as he sat down beside the dining table.

"It was great. I aced the Zanjutsu test," said Karin.

"And I scored top marks in the Hohou practice," said Yuzu.

"That's great news," said Ichigo. His two sisters had started the Academy in June. Like himself, their strong spiritual powers qualified both of them for the elite freshman cohort. The fearsome reputation Ichigo had built in his first and only year at the Academy made the other freshmen and even the seniors frightened both Karin and Yuzu, though the sisters never really took advantage of their reputation. They had both been hard workers and high achievers and though neither of them were as good as Ichigo was, they were on track to finishing their course before the six year deadline.

"Do you have a day off today Onii-chan?" asked Yuzu.

"Yeah, I finished my work early," said Ichigo. "Tonight we can enjoy dinner as a family." With that Ichigo helped his sisters prepare for the evening meal.

* * *

In another corner of Seireitei, a short teenager with white hair was busy filling documents beside a desk. He was rudely interrupted when a blonde bombshell of a woman with busty breasts gave him a hug.

"Taicho! Let's have some time out!" shouted Matsumoto Rangiku in an unusually cheerful mood.

"What do you think you're doing Matsumoto?" asked Hitsugaya Toshiro. The captain of the 10th division was frequently frustrated by his lieutenant's laziness and occasional binge drinking. This moment was no exception, for he detected a whiff of Sake in Matsumoto's breath.

"Have you been drinking again Matsumoto? I told you to get the paperwork done."

"Don't worry Shiro-kun, I've got them done for Rangiku-san," said another woman's voice. Hitsugaya blushed when he saw Hinamori Momo handed him a bunch of papers.

"Um, thank you, Momo-chan," said Hitsugaya. Hinamori also blushed at his compliment. The two of them were still unable to openly express their feelings for each other even though Hinamori had been at the 10th division for the past six years. She had felt much more comfortable as a 3rd seat under Hitsugaya's command then she ever was as the former 5th division lieutenant.

"Oh my, look at your faces!" laughed Matsumoto. "Come on, you should both just admit that you love each other."

"Shut up!" yelled Hitsugaya as he pushed Matsumoto away. The ditzy blonde lieutenant collapsed onto the floor.

"Rangiku-san!" called Hinamori as she rushed to Matsumoto's side.

"Don't bother helping her Hinamori. She's just passed out from drinking too much."

* * *

Similar scenes were occurring inside the offices of the all of the division barracks of the Gotei 13, as the evening sun slowly descended. For the past three years Soul Society had enjoyed a period of unprecedented peace and prosperity, with few major incidents. With the last of the former 5th division deserters having been rounded up and sent to the Maggot's Nest, even the vast expanses of Rukongai were mostly trouble free.

All of that was about to change however, for as night finally set in, three shadowy figures crept about the streets of Seireitei, unnoticed by the occasional Shinigami patrol. The figures were headed for an unlikely place, the Research and Development Institute, Soul Society's scientific quarters, owned and managed by the 12th division.

At this moment, inside the Institute's main complex, the division's captain, Kurotsuchi Mayuri, was typing furiously at a computer terminal that resembled a strange, giant organ. Mayuri was perhaps the most eccentric of the thirteen captains and perhaps the strange Shinigami in all of the Gotei 13. His entire body had been completely modified beyond human recognition with his skin now bone white. He wore an elaborate headdress shaped like a goat's horns and his face was half covered with blue paint. But it was his mind that was the most complex aspect, for he was making up to ten thousand individual calculations a second as he was typing at the computer terminal, constantly thinking up new ways of conducting his research. Unfortunately for Mayuri, even the most brilliant of scientists experienced their setbacks, and just as he was one of the verge of a breakthrough discovery, the computer screen suddenly flashed red.

"Oh bother, looks like the auxiliary power generator has malfunctioned again," sighed Mayuri. "I'll have to get it replaced some time. Nemu! Come here!" A short while later a woman with black hair curled up in a ponytail and wearing a short black skirt instead of a normal hakama rushed to Mayuri's side.

"Yes Mayuri-sama," said Nemu with a bow. As Mayuri's lieutenant and his daughter, Nemu had been mentally and emotionally programmed to obey her master's every command.

"The auxiliary power generator that powers the security field around the secret underground storage chamber has somehow short-circuited. Go there and see if you can fix it," said Mayuri.

"Yes Mayuri-sama, I'll fix it right away." Nemu bowed her head again and quickly left the room. Mayuri resumed his work at the computer terminal.

* * *

What neither Mayuri nor Nemu were aware of was that the failure of the auxiliary power generator was not an accident; it had been intentionally sabotaged. As the sparks of electricity crackled around the wreckage of the power generator, the sword that had pierced it mere moments ago retracted. The wielder of that sword, a man with silver hair, had been standing more than a hundred metres from the generator, outside the grounds of the Research and Development Institute. He, along with two other figures, watched as the force field around the institute lowered.

"The shield is down; now is the time to strike," said a woman wearing a red kimono beside the white haired man. The two of them, along with a third figure wearing a black hood and with two pairs of wings growing from his back, jumped down from the wall they had been standing on and quietly infiltrated the Institute. As it was already quite late, there were few guards patrolling about at this hour. The three figures crept through the various alleys and corridors of the institute until they reached a long flight of stairs that should have been barred by a force field. With the power to the area temporarily cut, the trio swiftly descended the stairs.

When they reached the bottom, they found themselves in a vast underground chamber filled with numerous vats, storage tanks and computer server networks.

"Wow, this place is just like the basement of Musa and Saiga-san's fortress," said the silver haired man. "Just look at all of these specimens."

"Quiet, we don't want to make a sound," said the hooded man. The three of them walked through the chamber, examining numerous subjects suspended in liquid tanks or encased in hard preservative jelly. Eventually they reached the very far end of the chamber, where a large set of liquid nitrogen vats were bolted to the wall. The woman went to the console in the middle of all the vats and fiddled all of the buttons. A few seconds later the vats started heating up, with gas rising out of the holes at the top of the vats. As a huge cloud of gas built up near the ceiling of the chamber, the woman pressed more buttons.

These buttons had the effect of causing the various vats to slowly open, revealing their contents. Suspended inside each of the vats were swords of various shapes and sizes, with each one having an intricate design.

"Look at all of these Zanpakuto," said the silver haired man. "In can't believe this Kurotsuchi guy was able to make all of them."

"He appears to have done all of the work for us," said the black hooded man.

"Indeed. The five month wait was worth it," said the woman with a smirk on a face. "We can finally set our plan into motion. Now then, let's gather up these swords and get out of here."

The three of them proceeded to remove the Zanpakuto from the vats, one by one.

* * *

Nemu flash stepped to the entrance to the room where the auxiliary power generator was located. When she entered the room, she was taken aback at what she saw. The power generator was severely damaged, with a massive hold on its left side, from which sparks were still coming out.

"This doesn't look like an ordinary power malfunction," said Nemu. "Someone must have vandalized it, but who?" She looked at the windows behind her and saw there was a crack in one of the windows, about the width of a katana blade. Her eyes widened in panic as she realized the implications of the crack. _Oh no, if someone purposely destroyed the power generator, they must have intended to lower the force fields!_ Nemu quickly exited the hole and got out her Danreishinki. She dialed her captain's emergency contact number.

"Mayuri-sama, Mayuri-sama, there's something urgent I have to report," said Nemu.

"_What is it Nemu? I'm busy at the moment. And what's taking you so long in fixing that generator?_" asked Mayuri on the other side.

"Mayuri-sama, the power generators didn't malfunction, they were sabotaged by outside vandals! Someone must have wanted the force fields to be lowered!"

"_What? Are you serious? I'll be down there immediately. Alert all division members if you can, and head for the secret underground storage room! We can't let anyone get inside there_!"

"Yes Mayuri-sama!" With that Nemu hung up on the call and texted an emergency message to all division members within the institute. She then started flash stepping towards the entrance to the underground storage room. When she got near the flight of steps leading down the underground storage room, she froze in shock. At this very moment, walking up the stairs from the underground storage room, was Captain Mayuri himself, accompanied by two strange looking people, a man with silver hair and a man wearing a black cloak and hood. The two people were carrying a bunch of swords in their arms and had some swords strapped over their shoulders.

"Mayuri-sama, what is the meaning of this?" asked Nemu.

"Hmm, what do you mean Nemu? Why are you here? I thought I said I was busy at the moment," said Mayuri.

"But, you told me to rush down to the underground storage room as soon as possible, and I thought you were still working at the database console," said Nemu. Beads of sweat flowed down her neck. While the person in front of her looked like Mayuri, there was some odd about him, as if he wasn't the genuine article.

"Nemu, you really are hopeless. Just don't get in my way, and don't inform anyone about where I've been," said Mayuri.

"But, those swords are the most top secret research material! You told me yourself they were not to be touched! And that anyone who did would get the death sentence from you! So why are you allowing these two strangers to carry all of them out from the storage room?"

"Do I really have to answer all of your incessant questions? Remember, I am your captain and your father. If you disobey me once again, I'll be forced to punish you." Nemu backed away as she saw Mayuri and the two other strangers approached her. In an instinctive reaction she pulled out her Zanpakuto and held it in her arms.

"This isn't like you Mayuri-sama! Tell me who those two strangers are!" Before Nemu could say anymore, Mayuri thrust out a hand and impaled Nemu straight through the heart.

"Like I said, you're such a bother Nemu," said Mayuri. Nemu's eyes widened with shock as she felt his hands grasp around her heart.

"Mayuri-sama…why?" she croaked. At this moment, another voice shrieked.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?" shouted a second Mayuri. This one had come down a flight of stairs from the upper levels of the institute. Nemu stared at the second Mayuri. For some reason, she was positive that this Mayuri was the genuine version.

"Mayuri-sama?" she asked. The Mayuri standing on the stairs regarded the Mayuri who had impaled his right arm through Nemu's heart with outrage.

"Who are you imposter? What are you doing with daughter? And who are those two beside you?" asked Mayuri frantically. His eyes fell upon the swords the two men had in their arms. "It can't be! Those are my greatest research specimens! How dare you steal them!" The imposter 'Mayuri' grinned evilly. His voice somehow changed so that it no longer resembled the real Mayuri's voice.

"You've come just as I expected," said the fake Mayuri. At this instant the fake Mayuri somehow changed his appearance before the real Mayuri's eyes. In his place was a woman wearing a red kimono with white lilies. Mayuri's eyes widened in horror.

"Who are you? How the heck did you manage to disguise yourself as me?" he asked in anger. He unsheathed his Zanpakuto and held it in his right hand. Before Mayuri could attack, the woman wrenched her hand from Nemu's chest. An instant later Nemu's eyes went vacant and she collapsed onto the ground, with blood flowing freely from a gaping hole in her chest. The woman had a small green object in her bloody right hand.

"Do you know what this is?" asked the woman. Mayuri's eyes widened in pure horror. For the second time in his entire life, his entire body trembled in fear.

"No! DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH THAT!" shouted Mayuri. He released his Zanpakuto _Ashisogi Jizo_ and charged at the woman. Before he could get her the woman mercilessly crushed the green object in her hand. Mayuri collapsed onto his knees in utter despair. The green object had been the soul of his daughter Nemu, who was actually an artificial human created by an advanced gikongan inserted into a modified human gigai. It was the only one of its kind he had ever managed to create.

"No, Nemu…" said Mayuri. For the first time in his life, he started sobbing. Though he had treated Nemu with constant disrespect and had used and abused her many times before, to the point of severely injuring her on several occasions in battle, he had still loved her as his own flesh and blood. He had an attachment to her that went far beyond a father to daughter relationship. Now, to see his daughter's soul shattered forever broke his heart completely.

"How pitiful. I had no idea a man as twisted and immoral as you actually had a heart," said the woman. "To think that you actually cared about someone other than yourself. What a pity, for the great scientist Kurotsuchi Mayuri to be reduced a sobbing wreck." The woman's words caused Mayuri to snap. He screamed a primal, almost bestial howl of anguish. He grabbed his Shikai in his hands and shouted "BANKAI!"

His Zanpakuto transformed and expanded enormously. It quickly grew into a gigantic, grotesque monster, resembling an overgrown caterpillar with a baby's head. The creature breathed poisonous gas from its mouth and under what appeared to be a red napkin around its neck the monster numerous ten foot long blades suddenly appeared.

"Go _Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo_! Kill them! Tear them apart!" shouted Mayuri. The baby monster let out a shriek as it charged forward. The two men jumped out of the way but the woman let herself be impaled by the blades. Mayuri grinned in satisfaction.

"I'm going to tear you to pieces, bitch," said Mayuri.

"Oh, are you sure about that?" the woman asked. Despite being horribly impaled she was still somehow alive. "Are sure that you've really impaled me?" Mayuri's eyes widened when the woman suddenly disappeared and in her place was Nemu's corpse, which was now horribly mutilated by the giant blades, to an extent that her body was barely recognizable.

"NO! IT CAN'T BE!" wailed Mayuri. Not only had he impaled his daughter by mistake, but now the woman and the two other men were nowhere to be seen. The realization that he had doomed himself by his own hand drove Mayuri past the brink of despair and caused him to lose all sense of his sanity. After he ordered his Bankai to drop Nemu's corpse to the ground, Mayuri then went charging back up the stairs, with his giant monster following after him, crushing the stairs beneath its caterpillar like feet. When Mayuri got back to the computer terminal he ordered his Bankai to attack it. The baby monster smashed into the computer, smashing the screen and causing the circuit boards to explode. This triggered an alarm that went out across the entire Research and Development Institute.

With the computer terminal destroyed, Mayuri and his Bankai charged towards the Institute's main labs. Along the way they encountered many of the 12th division's researchers and scientists. All of them were shocked and horrified at their captain running at them with his Bankai.

"Mayuri-sama!" they shrieked as they ran towards the entrance of the labs. They quickly shut the gates to the labs tightly in the hope that it would stall their captain's insane rampage. The attempt was futile. The giant baby monster smashed through the gates like paper and charged through the labs. Any hapless scientists that ended up in its way were impaled by the blades at the front, trampled by the monster's feet or succumbed to the poisonous gas.

"Destroy them! Destroy them all!" shouted Mayuri. His Bankai obeyed his command and proceeded to swing its body against all the computer terminals, storage tanks and compartments it could find. Within minutes it had turned the entire lab area into a warzone. Mayuri himself destroyed as much stuff as he could, going as far as punching into computer terminals with his bare hands. After the main labs were completely gutted, Mayuri and his advanced to the heart of the Institute, the fusion reactor that powered nearly all of the institute's systems, and supplied Seireitei with a vast quantity of electricity.

In a suicidal state Mayuri ran to the gangway at the centre of the fusion reactor, an enormous device that descended down nearly two hundred metres below the surface. He ordered his Bankai to smash itself into it. The grotesque baby monster did so, tearing a twenty foot hole in the reactor's superstructure. The sudden loss of the reactor's integrity caused it go into full scale meltdown. Within seconds the bulk of the highly radioactive fuel that had usually lain dormant inside the reactor ignited, with catastrophic results.

The entire reactor exploded outwards in a colossal fireball that engulfed the entire Research and Development Institute, with the outer shockwaves of the explosion reaching the 12th division's barracks. Hundreds of division members screamed in terror and ran for their lives. The fireball soon grew into a mushroom cloud that stretched all the way into the sky.

* * *

The explosion was so huge that it could be seen, heard and felt throughout all of Seireitei. Every single captain, lieutenant and senior officer sensed the explosion and rushed outside. None of them could believe their eyes. The sight of a smoldering fireball rising into the night sky was truly something out of their worst nightmares. The implications of it sent waves of horror through nearly all Shinigami who saw it, for they knew that somehow the entire Research and Development Institute had been utterly destroyed in the greatest explosion in Seireitei's recent history. It would take the other divisions hours before an emergency team could be scrambled to sort out the scene of chaos at the epicenter of the disaster.

As Soul Society reeled from the destruction of the Institute, no one saw three figures creep along the back streets of Seireitei, having fled from the 12th division barracks a few minutes before the cataclysmic explosion. Two of the figures, a man with silver hair and a man wearing a black hood over his head, carried an assortment of Zanpakutos in their arms or over their shoulders. They were following a woman wearing a red kimono with white lilies.

"My god, that was some explosion," said the silver haired man as he looked back at the smoldering fire behind him. "Did you really have to go that far, Kyoka Suigetsu-san?"

"Well, perhaps I didn't expect Captain Kurotsuchi to go to such extreme lengths," conceded the woman called Kyoka Suigetsu. "But his…enthusiasm, is nonetheless convenient for us. His actions have ensured that all of the blame for this night's incident will be pinned on him alone, and all trace of our involvement will have been completely eradicated."

"The way you put it, it does sound like a rather ingenious plan," said the silver haired man.

"So where are we going to go now, Suigetsu-san?" asked the black hooded man.

"We lie low for the next day. I need time to awaken these Zanpakuto, and for the attention of the Shinigami to be distracted by the inevitable clean-up operation. When their guard is down the most; that is when we'll strike."

With that, the three individuals, the instigators of this night's terrible incident, disappeared into the maze of Seireitei's streets.

* * *

Notes: This chapter officially marks the beginning of the second major arc in this story. As a lot of readers may have suspected, the main antagonist of this arc is Aizen's Zanpakuto, Kyoka Suigetsu. No prizes for guessing who her accomplices are ^^.

As for Nemu's death and Mayuri's descent into insanity-well, part of it was me liking the beginning of Fade to Black, but also part of it was to finally develop Mayuri's character beyond that of the completely immoral scientist. I guess an element of karma is in there as well.


	26. Chapter 26: Outbreak of Maggots

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 26 Outbreak of Maggots

Several hours after the great disaster at the Research and Development Institute, an emergency team assembled from the Gotei 13's 4th division and the Onimitsukidou's Executive Militia gathered at the disaster site. Smoke was still rising from the wreckage of the facility. The entire place was almost unrecognizable; it was as if a nuclear bomb had gone off in the midst, for not a single portion of the facility had survived intact.

At the site of the former entrance to the Institute, two Shinigami captains and a man dressed in a green cloak with a baggy hat inspected the carnage.

"Oh boy, what a mess we've got to deal with here," said the acting Captain Commander, Kyoraku Shunsui, lowering his bamboo hat.

"I can't believe that Mayuri-san could have caused such devastation by himself," said the 13th division captain Ukitake Jushiro. "Even the attack by the burning demon three years ago was nothing compared to the scale of this calamity."

"What do you think Kisuke? Do you have any explanation for what caused Kurotsuchi's act of insanity?" asked Shunsui. The former head of the 12th division and current headmaster of the Shinigami shook his head.

"I'll need to scour the entire place for evidence before I can come to a conclusion as to what drove Kurotsuchi-san to such lengths as to destroy all of his life's work," said Urahara. "As of now, I can't imagine what could have made him lose all semblance of his sanity."

"Well, you'll have plenty of time to inspect the facility at your leisure, once the medical squads have taken all of the dead and injured away. For with Kurotsuchi incapable of performing his role as the 12th division captain, you're going to have to fill in his shoes."

"What, you're going to make me the 12th division captain?" asked Urahara. He hadn't expected to receive such a promotion.

"You're the only logical replacement for Kurotsuchi. Furthermore, from the reports we've received, the 12th division lieutenant is also dead. We'll need to find a replacement lieutenant for her."

"Alright, I accept the promotion for now. But I have no real desire to remain in the role for the long term. Make the arrangements as you wish, and tell the Onimitsukidou to hurry up and seal the entire site. I need utmost security to conduct my investigations." Shunsui and Ukitake nodded. The two of them left the scene to begin preparations for Urahara's reinstatement as a captain, and to request the other divisions to provide a suitable replacement lieutenant.

* * *

"What the fuck is this?" asked Hiyori in anger. She held an official proclamation from the Captain Commander himself, which had been delivered by the messenger squad to the 5th division.

"It's exactly as you have just read," replied Shinji. "It's a notice from the Captain Commander that you are hereby transferred to the 12th division as its new lieutenant."

"Hell no! I don't want to go back to that stinking joint ever again!" shouted Hiyori vehemently. "Why the hell did you recommend me for that job?" The 5th division, like all of the other divisions, had received a special request from the Captain Commander's office asking if any of the captains could allow any of their lieutenants or third seats to be transferred to the 12th division and become the new captain Urahara Kisuke's lieutenant. When Shinji received the request he immediately sent a message to Kyoraku, advising him that he had a suitable replacement in mind.

"You're the most suitable candidate for the position Hiyori," said Shinji. "You were once the 12th division lieutenant, and you're probably the lieutenant that would have the closet working relationship with Urahara."

"But why me? Why couldn't you get the other divisions to transfer their lieutenants?"

"None of the other captains could find a replacement for their lieutenants."

"And are you implying that you have a replacement for me?" asked Hiyori. "Who is it then?" Her question was answered when the doors of the office opened. Standing in the doorway was Kurosaki Ichigo.

"Did you call me Hirako Taicho?" asked Ichigo.

"Yes I did. Come in Ichigo," said Shinji. Ichigo walked over and sat down on a seat beside Hiyori. When Hiyori realized what was going on, she became even angrier.

"You're going to trade me for baldy?" she asked. "How could you Shinji? I thought you were my friend! What a betrayal, to find that I've been replaced by a younger and stronger looking man! I bet you were grooming baldy here behind my back all this time!"

"Hiyori, you don't have to be so hysterical," said Shinji. "I haven't betrayed your trust, and nor have I been grooming Ichigo to replace you. I don't find the circumstances ideal either. I too would have liked to keep you around, but we have to make do with the best we can."

"Hmph, whatever," said Hiyori. "I'll accept the transfer, but this means that you're no longer my superior anymore, and therefore I'm entitled to abuse you however I like!" With that Hiyori dashed out of the office with her document of transfer, laughing all the way.

"Um, Hirako Taicho, are you really okay with making Hiyori-san leave like that?" asked Ichigo.

"Actually, to tell you the truth, I'm secretly glad I'm rid of her," said Shinji with a grin. "Even though I love her dearly, her performance as a lieutenant has been, how should I put it, unreliable. Someone like you, who has never let me down in regards to the standard of your work, would make an ideal lieutenant." As he said this Shinji handed Ichigo the division's lieutenant badge.

"Um, thank you captain," said Ichigo with some embarrassment. "I didn't expect to receive such a reward for my work."

"Don't think of your promotion as a reward. The work of a lieutenant is far more stressful than that of a third seat. In addition, because there aren't any suitable candidates to replace you just yet, in the foreseeable future you'll have to do double the work of other lieutenants as you must continue doing your previous tasks as a third seat in addition to your new tasks as a lieutenant. Are you able to handle the workload?"

"I am captain. I am ready for the increased responsibility."

"Then consider it an honour to be my right hand man." Shinji got up from his seat. "Since you're my deputy now, you're going to be in charge of the division if I have to attend a captain's meeting." Ichigo nodded. He followed his captain out of the office, ready to take on his new responsibilities.

* * *

By the dawn of the next day, the chaos from the destruction of the Research and Development Institute had largely died down. All of the surviving members of the 12th division had either been transferred to the 4th division barracks for treatment or were under questioning by the Onimitsukidou. The site of the destroyed Institute had been completely cordoned off, with the only persons allowed access to the ruins being the new 12th division captain Urahara Kisuke and his new lieutenant Sarugaki Hiyori. As members of the other divisions prepared to start their day, none of them were aware that the destruction of the Institute was only the prelude to a far greater and more terrible incident.

As the sun started rising in the eastern sky, the guards of the detention unit surrounding the Maggot's Nest, deep in the 2nd division's grounds, were only just beginning their shifts. Still tired from a long nights' work, they were not at full alertness. As such, none of them noticed a trio of who had infiltrated the 2nd division grounds and were now advancing towards the Maggot's Nest entrance, using the shadows cast by the rising sun as camouflage. When they got within twenty feet of the guards, the man with the black cloak and hood crept forward and summoned a sword into his right hand.

"Cry," whispered the man. The blade of the sword vibrated, producing a high pitched tone that covered the entire area around the entrance. Seconds later all of the guards around the entrance were knocked unconscious, the tone from the man's blade having put them all to sleep.

"The coast is clear," said the black hooded man.

"Let's go," said Kyoka Suigetsu. She and the two men walked through the entrance of the Maggot's Nest and proceeded to descend the cave-like stairs that led down from the entrance. On both sides of the stairs were numerous stalactites and stalagmites as well as row upon row of rock pools.

"My, my, this place looks like a dungeon. Are you sure the rest of the deserters are being held down here?" asked the silver haired man beside Kyoka Suigetsu.

"Yes, I am positive. You'll see once we get down to the bottom of these stairs." When they reached the bottom of the stairs they found themselves staring at set of wooden doors. Kyoka Suigetsu opened the doors and entered. On the other side of the doors was a vast underground chamber, stretching for hundreds of metres in all directions, and with a ceiling multiple stories in height. Inside the chamber were hundreds of inmates, all of them dressed in a plain kosode and hakama. Nearly all of the inmates were deserters from the 5th division. As the inmates saw the three figures who had entered, their eyes immediately focused on the figure in the centre. Through a mass illusion cast by Kyoka Suigetsu, all of the inmates thought she was their former captain, Aizen Sousuke.

"Aizen Taicho!" they all exclaimed. "Aizen Taicho!" The inmates all rushed towards Kyoka Suigetsu and groveled at her feet. She smiled in delight that all of these fools believed that was she was Aizen.

"Aizen Taicho, have you come to free us?" asked one of the inmates.

"I have," said Kyoka Suigetsu, trying to mimic her former master's voice as much as possible. "But I have come to offer you more than your freedom. Rather, I offer you all the opportunity the join me in an uprising the likes the Soul Society has never seen. We will rise against the Gotei 13 and their oppressive masters the central 46. Today, we will shatter the old order into a million pieces! We shall trigger a revolution that will turn Soul Society upon its very head! Are you all willing to join me?"

"YES AIZEN TAICHO!" shouted all of the inmates in unison. They started chanting their former captain's name loudly.

"I appreciate your enthusiasm, but an uprising like this requires strong leaders who can command the masses," said Kyoka Suigetsu. "All of you must wait here for the moment as we release the seated officers, for they hold the key to our success in their hands." The average rank and file inmates waited where they were as Kyoka Suigetsu and her two accomplices crossed to the other end of the chamber and headed down to a series of holding cells, where the most dangerous of the inmates were kept. As they walked along the cells, the inmates that were inside them woke up from their previously monotonous gazing.

"Aizen Taicho!" they all exclaimed.

"My most loyal servants, I have come to offer you your freedom," said Kyoka Suigetsu. "And as reward for your loyalty, I shall grant each of you Zanpakutos of unimaginable power." All of the inmates in the cells dutifully accepted. The silver haired man and the black hooded man went around opening up the holding cells with a set of keys stolen from the detention unit's central command. As the inmates, all of them former seated officers, walked out of their cells they were each given a Zanpakuto by the two men. The seated officers examined the swords they had been given and thanked their 'captain' for granting them these powers.

"Take your time getting used to these Zanpakutos," said Kyoka Suigetsu. "They have been specially modified so that the spirits inside each blade automatically merge with your inner worlds. As long as you memorize the release commands, you should be able to use each Zanpakuto to its fullest extent."

"What do you want us to do in return Aizen Taicho?" asked a man with scraggy black hair and somewhat pale skin.

"You seated officers will be the vanguard of the uprising. You must all cause enough chaos so that the attention of the Shinigami will be focused upon you. Your new Zanpakutos will grant you abilities strong enough to accomplish this task. With their attention diverted, the rank and file members will be able to storm the various division barracks and steal weapons for themselves. In addition to causing general chaos, each of you will also have an individual objective which is suited to the powers you now possess."

Kyoka Suigetsu took some time to explain to every seated officer the tasks they had been assigned. Once they understood her orders, she and her two accomplices led the officers back to the main chamber. The rank and file inmates greater their officers with applause and excitement. Kyoka Suigetsu, in her guise as Aizen Sousuke, stood at the entrance to the chamber and addressed the inmates again.

"These are my final orders to you before the uprising commences," she said to the inmates. "Follow the lead of your commanding officers and head for the designated attack points. Once you get inside a division barracks infiltrate the armoury and steal as many weapons as you can. The officers will be able to divert the attention of the Gotei 13's strongest Shinigami long enough for you to obtain weapons for yourselves." The inmates all nodded excitedly as they saw their captain spread both of his hands outwards.

"Let the uprising commence!" shouted Kyoka Suigetsu.

* * *

The commotion taking place inside the Maggot's Nest did not go undetected by the guards outside the detention spire. The members of the detention unit who had been knocked unconsciousness by a strange sound woke up and saw that the door to the prison had been broken into. Most of the guards went inside to deal with the intruders but one of the guards ran as fast as he could to raise the alarm. After frantic Shunpo-ing he arrived in front of the Commander's office.

"Commander Sui Feng! I have urgent news to report!" yelled the detention unit guard.

"Come in," said a woman's voice. The guard entered the office and bowed onto his knees in front of a woman of Chinese appearance and a stern face. Sui Feng, the captain of the 2nd division and the Commander of the Onimitsukidou, regarded the detention unit guard.

"What do you have to report?" she asked. She noticed the beads of sweat on the guard's face and frowned.

"I have terrible news Taicho. The entrance to the Underground Holding Cell has been breached by intruders!" exclaimed the guard.

"What? Are you certain of that?" asked Sui Feng in dismay.

"I am dead certain. You know well that the door to the Holding Cell is kept shut and only the Gundaichou of the detention unit has the authority to open the door without proper authorization. My comrades were faithfully guarding the door when somehow we were put to sleep by an unknown spell. When I awoke the door was opened. The other guards have rushed down into the depths of the prison in an attempt to deal with the intruders but I don't know if they can handle them."

"Shit, this is bad," said Sui Feng. For a group of intruders to incapacitate members of the detention unit and infiltrate the Maggot's Nest without detection meant they were individuals of significant power. She had no doubt the goal of these intruders would be to break every single one of the prisoners, the majority of them being former members of the 5th division, out of prison. "Alright, go back and assist your comrades however possible. I will mobilize the executive militia and prevent the intruders or the prisoners from escaping." The detention unit guard nodded and quickly let the office. Sui Feng got out of her seat and quickly sent a message to all members of the executive militia.

She then grabbed her Zanpakuto and slung it behind her back before heading out of the office. As she walked along the corridors of the division barracks to the entrance she bumped into her lazy and incompetent lieutenant, Omaeda Marechiyo, who was sleeping on a couch.

"Get up Omaeda!" yelled Sui Feng, kicking her lieutenant in the ass. The kick startled Omaeda and caused him to fall from the couch.

"Ow, what did you do that for Taicho?" asked Omaeda. "What's the great rush?"

"We have a major situation on our hands. Some intruders have broken into the Maggot's Nest and are attempting to free the prisoners inside. We have to stop them from setting the prisoners loose! Now hurry up and get ready!"

Omaeda ran to his personal office to himself prepared. He came back a few minutes later carrying his Zanpakuto and lieutenant's badge. The two 2nd division leaders then flash stepped as quickly as possible to the northwest of the division barracks, where the Maggot's Nest was located. As they did so, Sui Feng received a message from her second in command of the executive militia that all militia units had now been mobilized. Sui Feng ordered most of them to head for the Maggot's Nest.

She and Omaeda soon reached the bridge that spanned the moat separating the Maggot's Nest from the rest of the division barracks. The two of them crossed over the bridge. Just as they were about to enter the door of the prison they were blown back dozens of yards by a sudden blast. Sui Feng quickly righted herself but Omaeda was sent crashing into the moat.

"What the hell?" asked Sui Feng. She looked up and saw a sight that caused her entire body to tremble in horror. Where the door to the Maggot's Nest once was, there was now a huge hole five metres across, behind which she could see more than a hundred prisoners, all of them armed with wooden sticks and other implements. But it was the people at the front that made her anxious. Six of the prisoners were wielding Zanpakutos in their hands, and in addition there were three other strange looking figures, a woman wearing a red kimono, a silver haired man dressed in a light blue Shihakusho, and a man dressed in a black cloak with a hood that covered his face.

"Who the hell are you guys?" asked Sui Feng as she charged towards the three mysterious figures. She unsheathed her sword and released her Zanpakuto _Suzumebachi_, transforming it into a twelve inch stinger strapped to her middle finger.

"She's all yours men. You may kill her if you like," said the woman. On her command, the six prisoners armed with Zanpakutos flash stepped towards Sui Feng and flew past her. Before Sui Feng could react, she gasped in pain as numerous huge cuts appeared on the sides of her shoulders, waist and legs, causing blood to gash out. _Impossible_…thought Sui Feng, _these guys are as strong as a captain_! She fell into the moat and watched helplessly as the more than hundred prisoners rushed across the bridge, followed by the three mysterious figures.

"Taicho!" yelled Omaeda as he swam down and grabbed his captain's body. He brought her up to the surface. Sui Feng coughed up water and blood. "Are you okay Taicho?"

"I'm fine. These wounds aren't that serious," said Sui Feng.

"What do we do now Taicho?"

"We inform the other captains about this. There are far too many escapees for us to handle, and they may have already spread out into the depths of Seireitei." Sui Feng jumped onto the bridge and got out her Danreishinki. She quickly sent a message to the other twelve captains. The contents of the message were: "_There has been an incident at the 2__nd__ division's Underground Holding Cell. The former fifth division deserters have all escaped the prison due to three unidentified figures. Some of the prisoners are armed and extremely dangerous. I urge all division captains to mobilize their units in response to the breakout._" After she sent the message she placed her phone back in her pocket and faced Omaeda.

"Omaeda, the executive militia are yours to command. Use them to hunt down the rank and file deserters," said Sui Feng.

"What about you?" asked Omaeda.

"I'm going after the leaders of the breakout, the ones armed with Zanpakuto."

* * *

Sui Feng's message was quickly received by the twelve other captains. All of them, except for the new 12th division captain Urahara Kisuke, were able to respond to the request for assistance, but it took time for each captain to get their divisions mobilized.

The 5th division was one of the quickest to respond to the message. As soon as Hirako Shinji got the call, he ordered half of his loyalist members to come with him to hunt down the 5th division deserters. Before he left, Shinji called Ichigo to his office.

"I've heard about the distress signal from the 2nd division captain," said Ichigo. "What are your orders?"

"I want you to take over operational command of the division barracks," said Shinji. "I am leading half of our forces on a hunt for the escapees."

"I understand captain," said Ichigo. "I'll guard the division with my life." With that Shinji and fifty other fifth division members flash stepped out of the barracks.

* * *

"Kuchiki!" yelled 13th division captain Ukitake Jushiro. Upon receiving the distress call from Sui Feng, he had summoned his lieutenant to his office. Rukia arrived at his office a few minutes later.

"What is it Captain Ukitake?" asked Rukia.

"I'm planning to hunt down the three unidentified figures who broke into the Maggot's Nest by myself," said Ukitake. "I want you to take command of the division until I return."

"I understand captain. I will do my best," said Rukia.

* * *

"Where are you going Shiro-chan?" asked the 10th division 3rd seat Hinamori Momo. She had spotted her captain strap his Zanpakuto behind his back.

"I'm going out to hunt down those prisoners," said Hitsugaya. "If my hunch is correct, this breakout may be the work of Aizen or someone related to him."

"Let us come with you Taicho," said Hitsugaya's lieutenant Matsumoto Rangiku.

"No, the two of you must guard the division until I come back. You must not let any of those prisoners or the intruders to enter the barracks. Can you two girls promise me you'll do that?" Matsumoto and Hinamori nodded.

"Take care of yourself, Shiro-chan," said Hinamori.

"You too, Hinamori," said Hitsugaya. He quickly left the barracks and headed out.

* * *

The last captain in a position to immediately respond to Sui Feng's summons was the acting Captain Commander himself, Kyoraku Shunsui. After deferring command of the first division barracks to his able lieutenant, Sasakibe, Shunsui went and got himself dressed, putting on his flowery robes over his captain's haori, strapping his bamboo hat around his neck, and placing both of his swords around his waist. After he finished dressing, Shunsui regarded himself in the mirror.

"Alright, I suppose it is time for the Sotaicho himself to make a move," said Shunsui to himself.

As the captains from the 1st, 5th, 10th and 13th divisions left their barracks, the escapees from the Maggot's Nest had already begun their rampage. Those who were unarmed soon found random Shinigami patrolling the streets of Seireitei and stole their swords. The six former 5th division seated officers begun executing their orders as they got used to the powers they had been given. As for the three figures who had instigated the uprising, they disappeared into the depths of Seireitei, watching and observing as Soul Society quickly descended into all out chaos.

* * *

Notes: And so begins the great uprising of the inmates of the Maggot's Nest. In this chapter I tried to convey the frantic chaos that marked Ichigo and his friend's entry into Seireitei or the beginning of the Zanpakuto Strange Tales Arc.


	27. Chapter 27: Sharks and Wolves

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 27 Sharks and Wolves

Sui Feng swore as she accidentally lost her footing on a pillar she landed on during the middle of a flash step. She quickly recovered and continued flash stepping across Seireitei. The injuries she had received when she was ambushed by the six prisoners armed with Zanpakuto were more serious than she had realized. Her lieutenant Omaeda had managed to bandage up the wounds to stop the blood loss but Soifon struggled to prevent the incredible pain she was experiencing from overwhelming her. _Shit, I can't fight properly like this_, she thought. It was already bad enough that she had been without her left arm for the past six years due to the injuries she had suffered in the Arrancar War. Now, she was about to engage several powerful opponents in battle burdened with numerous severe cuts upon her body.

The only good news Sui Feng had was that the other division captains had mobilized for action quicker than she expected. Before she embarked on her hunt she had received word from Shunsui, Shinji, Hitsugaya and Ukitake that they would assist her in hunting down the prisoners. The news had relieved Sui Feng of the burden of having to hunt all of the escapees down by herself.

She had already managed to lock onto the spiritual pressure of one of the prisoners armed with a Zanpakuto. It was headed towards the 10th division barracks. Sui Feng quickened her flash steps and managed to get within two dozen paces of the prisoner. From behind Sui Feng could tell the prisoner was a woman. She had dark yellow hair going down to her shoulders, and was holding a Zanpakuto in her right hand. _She hasn't noticed my presence yet_, thought Sui Feng. _This is a perfect chance to catch her by surprise_. With one giant flash step she zoomed towards the woman until she was right behind her. Sui Feng thrust her right arm forward and stabbed the woman in the back with her _Suzumebachi_. The other woman gasped in shock as Sui Feng retracted her stinger. The wound she had made quickly transformed into a large black mark that resembled a hornet crest.

"I've got you," said Sui Feng. "Now for the second strike! _Nigeki Kissatsu_!" She thrust her right arm towards the woman's back a second time, aiming to pierce her in the exact same spot. Before she could so the woman turned around and pointed her sword at her.

"_Ola Azul_," said the woman. The sword glowed bright yellow for a moment before a yellow coloured energy projectile suddenly shot towards Sui Feng's head. Sui Feng barely managed to duck her body in time and watched as the yellow projectile shot past her and exploded in the distance. Sui Feng stared at the woman again. It took her a second to realize blood was flowing down her forehead.

"Shit, I can't believe you managed to cut me," said Sui Feng.

"You were close to killing me too, captain of the 2nd division, Sui Feng," said the woman.

"Who are you? Are you one of the fifth division's former officers?"  
"I am. The former fifth division 6th seat, Masuhiko Asuna," said the woman. She pointed her sword at Sui Feng. "I am surprised that you are still alive. I thought for sure that my comrades and I had killed you in our combined assault back at the Maggot's Nest."

"Heh, did you really think those blows would have killed a person like me? I've survived much more serious wounds before," said Sui Feng with a smirk. The other woman grinned.

"Is that so? Well then, you will make the perfect target for me to use my new Zanpakuto's powers on," said Asuna. "This sword, given to me by the great Aizen Taicho himself, has made me far more powerful than previous self."

"You said Captain Aizen gave you that sword? What a joke! The traitor Aizen Sousuke is still imprisoned in the lowest depths of the underground prison!"

"That's what you captains think. But we of the true of fifth division know better. Aizen Taicho is far too intelligent to have been kept imprisoned there," said Asuna. "He was the one responsible for freeing me from that Maggot's Nest. And now, I shall repay my gratitude to him by killing you in his name." She held her sword by the pommel upside down in front of her.

"Destroy, _Tiburon_," chanted Asuna. Sui Feng's eyes widened in surprise as a massive heart-shaped surge of water appeared out of nowhere and suddenly engulfed Asuna's body. The surge of water resembled a cocoon-like vortex. A few seconds later the vortex was ripped in half by Asuna, who now held a completely different looking Zanpakuto in her hand. It resembled a gigantic broad sword shaped like a shark tooth, nearly five foot long. On either side of the blade were three sets of gill markings. The guard of the sword completely covered Asuna's hand and stretched out behind her arm like two fins. Sui Feng studied the sword closely, and a moment later she remembered seeing it before. _That's right, the Tres Espada that Hitsugaya fought in the Fake Karakura Town battle had the exact same sword in her released form_! _What's going on here_?

Sui Feng didn't have time for more introspection, for at that moment Asuna raised her released Zanpakuto above her head and slashed at Sui Feng. Sui Feng instinctively flash stepped backwards. The move saved her life, for instead of being cut in half she only received a minor cut down the side of her torso. _That was close_, thought Sui Feng. _She almost had me_.

"Tch, you're annoyingly fast. I could have killed you in that one slash," said Asuna. "Now I'll have to do it the hard way!" She pointed her huge sword at Sui Feng. A moment later a surge of water appeared from the gill slits in the middle of the blade. The water lapped around the tip of the blade.

"_La Gota_," said Asuna. She fired a massive shark tooth shaped blast of water from the blade that flew towards Sui Feng at rapid speed. The blast seemingly pierced right through Sui Feng's chest before flying into a nearby building, utterly demolishing it. Asuna glanced at the gaping hole in Sui Feng's chest and grinned.

"Looks like I've killed you, Captain Sui Feng," said Asuna. Her boast was premature however, for she suddenly felt a sharp pain in the back again. Asuna quickly flash stepped to the side. She had narrowly avoided being stabbed by Sui Feng's _Suzumebachi_ in the exact same spot. Despite this, the second wound she had received created another hornet shaped crest upon her back. Asuna glanced at Sui Feng in shock. She thought she had killed her.

"How are you still alive? You should have a massive hole in your chest!" shouted Asuna. On closer inspection she realized that Sui Feng was not wearing her captain's haori anymore. Instead she was now wearing a sleeveless Shihakusho that completely bared her back right down to her waist.

"Way of the Onmitsu, third of the 'Shihou', _Utsusemi_," said Sui Feng. "An escape technique taught to me by the goddess of flash Shihouin Yoruichi herself. I'm glad I still had it in reserve, for now I know how far away I have to be to avoid being hit by your ranged attacks."

"You bitch!" shouted Asuna. In a rage she started to fire multiple shark tooth shaped water missiles at Sui Feng in quick succession. Sui Feng easily managed to dodge each one. The missiles skirted past her and impacted with random buildings nearby. However, Asuna's rate of fire was far too fast for Sui Feng to get close to her, so the 2nd division captain resorted to circling her opponent, hoping to find an opening she could exploit.

"Stop running around in circles like that!" shouted Asuna in frustration. "Why don't you just stand in one place and get hit like you're supposed to!"

"Ha, try and make me!" Sui Feng shouted back. To annoy her opponent even more, she started implementing rapid flash steps, creating the illusion of multiple clones.

"Argh, I've had enough of your games!" shouted Asuna in a rage. "Take this! _Cascada_!" She raised her sword above her head and swung it down in a huge arc. The swing created an enormous column of superheated water that slammed into the ground at hundreds of kilometers an hour. The water instantly flooded all of the nearby streets and quickly rose to such depths that it completely submerged all nearby buildings. The shockwave of the water column's impact with the ground blew Sui Feng several metres away. It took her a while to regain her footing.

Asuna seized her opponent's opening and flash stepped right above Sui Feng. She pointed her sword at Sui Feng's head.

"This time I won't miss," said Asuna evilly. "_La Gota_!" She fired another rapid water missile from her sword. But before the missile could hit Sui Feng, the 2nd division chanted "Bakudo 39, _Enkosen_!" A large oval shaped yellow shield of energy appeared above Sui Feng's head and absorbed most of the missile's impact. The force from the missile was nevertheless sufficient to send Sui Feng plummeting into the now flooded streets below.

"Hmph, you were damn lucky that the missile didn't hit you directly. But now you're luck has run out captain of the 2nd division!" laughed Asuna. She raised her sword above her head and swung it down, firing another giant column of water at Sui Feng. Sui Feng braced for the inevitable impact. It never came. Just before the column was about to impact with the surface of the water below, it was suddenly snap frozen, turning into a one hundred metre long pillar of ice. Both Asuna and Sui Feng were utterly stunned.

"Who did that?" asked Asuna in disbelief. "Who froze my _Cascada_?"

"I did," said a male voice nearby. Asuna and Sui Feng glanced to the right and saw the figure of Hitsugaya Toshiro, captain of the 10th division. He had already released his Bankai, _Daiguren Hyorinmaru_. A pair of ice wings with a wingspan of three metres in total and a long prehensile ice tail grew from his back, his hands and feet were covered with claws of ice, with his right hand transformed into an ice dragon's head that partially merged into the pommel of his five foot long sword.

"Captain…Hitsugaya," said Asuna with fear. Her entire body started to tremble, for she did not expect to encounter him, the wielder of the mightiest water ice Zanpakuto.

Hitsugaya wasted no time with pleasantries. Before Asuna could react at all, he summoned a ring of numerous giant columns of ice out of nowhere that completely encircled her, leaving her no means to escape.

"_Sennen Hyorou_," said Hitsugaya. With a ninety-degree spin of his sword he caused all of the columns to slam together, encasing Asuna in a gigantic prison of ice. As Asuna's screams were heard from within the depths of the ice prison, Hitsugaya glanced down at Sui Feng, who was still half submerged in water.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes, Captain Hitsugaya," said Sui Feng with a laugh.

"I thought you might need a hand, Captain Sui Feng," said Hitsugaya. "Against an opponent with a ranged water Zanpakuto the best counter is to be wielding another ranged water Zanpakuto." Sui Feng glared at him, feeling a tad unhappy at having her fight interrupted.

"Is she dead yet?" she asked Hitsugaya.

"No, she's still alive at the moment. This ice prison kills people very slowly. It will in fact crumble if I reseal my Bankai," said Hitsugaya.

"That's no good Captain Hitsugaya," said Sui Feng. "If you defeat an opponent, you should make sure she is dead."

"Well, since this was originally your fight, you can have the honour of killing her. I'll unsummon the prison right now. She should still be half-paralyzed from being entombed inside." Hitsugaya caused the ice prison to shatter into millions of tiny ice particles that fell into the water, revealing a half-unconscious Asuna. Before she had time to recover from her freezing ordeal, Sui Feng swooped in behind her. Without warning Sui Feng thrust her stinger into the hornet crest on Asuna's back.

"_Nigeki Kissatsu_," said Sui Feng. Asuna gave a shriek, before her entire body was disintegrated, leaving only a man-sized hornet crest behind.

"That's one down," said Sui Feng. She returned her Zanpakuto back to its sealed state.

"Are you continue your hunt for the other escaped prisoners?" asked Hitsugaya, who had also returned his Zanpakuto its sealed form.

"Nah, I think I'll leave that task to the other captains. My entire body's battered and sore," admitted Sui Feng. "It's going to take me a while to recuperate from all the injuries I've suffered."

* * *

As the battle between Sui Feng and the deserter Asuna had raged, another division had been in the process of mobilization. The eleventh division had been rather tardy in its response to Sui Feng's distress call, for its captain Zaraki Kenpachi was asleep when the signal arrived. It was only when one of his lower ranked seated officers noticed the message on the division's only functioning computer interface did they burst into his office and report the message. Kenpachi's reaction to being rudely woken up was not pretty. The seated officer who informed him was soon carried off to the fourth division with his entire body covered with bandages.

"Man, you should really take it easy on our rank and file, Taicho," said the eleventh division's third seat Madarame Ikkaku. He, along with the fifth seat Ayasegawa Yumichika, were perhaps the two most competent and level headed officers in the entire division. The two of them were frequently the voices of reason that tried to moderate their captain's sometimes crazy ideas.

"Tch, why should I? That guy should have known about the house rules," said Kenpachi as he strapped his five foot long Zanpakuto to his waist. "No one disturbs me when I am sleeping."

"You said it Ken-chan!" exclaimed Yachiru. The small midget girl with bright pink hair jumped onto Kenpachi's back. Despite being the division's lieutenant, Yachiru was arguably even less reliable than her captain, as her frequent bouts of hyperactivity drove many of the more sane members of the division mad in frustration.

"Are we finally ready captain?" asked Yumichika. The narcissist with the bowl-cut hair was also a perfectionist; he had gotten ready for battle as soon as he heard the distress call.

"Yes, we are ready. We can leave Aramaki in charge of the grunts," said Kenpachi. "The four of us should be more than enough to handle all opposition."

Ikkaku and Yumichika had doubts about leaving the management of the barracks to the unreliable Aramaki but they declined to protest.

"Yay we're finally going to see some action!" squealed Yachiru in delight. The four eleventh division members left the barracks at Kenpachi's command.

"Come on men! Let's find and kill some of those deserters!" shouted Kenpachi. He was relishing the prospect of being in a full scale battle for the first time in years.

It wasn't long before they encountered an opponent, for as they exited the barracks and rounded a corner they bumped into an escaped prisoner. He was dressed in the white kosode and hakama of all Maggot's Nest inmates and he was wielding a Zanpakuto in his hands. The man himself was completely bald. He regarded the eleventh division members with a pair of tiny eyes.

"Zaraki Kenpachi, eh, I am glad to have encountered you," said the man.

"Who the fuck are you?" asked Kenpachi. The man unsheathed his Zanpakuto and somehow managed to suspend it horizontally in the air in front of him.

"At last I get an opportunity to test my new Zanpakuto's powers," said the man. He clapped his hands together. "Suppress, _Brujeria_!" His sword suddenly began to twist into a circle before it was covered in a cloud of pink dust that obscured it and the man from view. When the dust cleared the sword had changed into a small round shield three foot wide that the man held in his right hand. The shield was pink and white in colour, and in the middle of the shield there was a creepy looking face with a single eye.

"What kind of Zanpakuto release is that?" asked Yumichika. The man pointed his shield at Kenpachi.

"Zaraki Kenpachi, you shall make the perfect test subject for my Zanpakuto's power," said the man. Before Kenpachi could do anything the eye in the front of the man's shield opened, and a black sun-shaped tattoo instantly appeared on Kenpachi's forehead. A moment later Kenpachi started spasming and screaming in pain. His hands clutched his forehead.

"What's wrong Ken-chan?" asked Yachiru. She yelped in fright when Kenpachi yanked her off his shoulder.

"Get away from me Yachiru," screeched Kenpachi.

"Whoa, whoa, get a hold of yourself Taicho!" shouted Ikkaku.

"Let us help you Taicho!" shouted Yumichika. All three were worried at the bizarre pain that Kenpachi was experiencing. Their worry appeared to abate when Kenpachi stopped screaming. He stopped clutching his face with his hands, letting them drop to the side.

"Are you okay Ken-chan?" asked Yachiru.

"I'm fine, Yachiru," said Kenpachi in a harsh tone that surprised his subordinates. They were shocked even more they saw his face, for his eyes now glowed a bright red in colour and drool seem to be coming from his mouth. "I just feel like cutting up some meat." Ikkaku and Yumichika's eyes widened in horror as they saw their captain unsheathe his sword and charged at them. Somewhere nearby, a group of random Shinigami heard screams followed by a gush of blood.

* * *

Elsewhere, another escaped prisoner was about to start causing havoc. Like the other fifth division deserters previously imprisoned in the Maggot's Nest, he only wore a white kosode and hakama. He had shaggy black hair that went down to his shoulder and wore a set of yellow goggles that covered both eyes. The final distinctive feature about him was that he was carrying a Zanpakuto.

"Alright, time to see what this baby can do," said the former fifth seat of the fifth division, Akumaru Koga. He had already killed several random Shinigami who had gotten in his way. But now, having communicated with the Zanpakuto, he was now prepared to use it. He jumped up onto the roof a building and held his sword in front of him with both hands.

"Kick, _Los Lobos_!" he shouted. A large blue aura of reiatsu surrounded him as his sword disintegrated. It materialized into the shape of a pair of handguns. The handguns were of the size and shape of a real world desert eagle and were mostly black in colour. Koga examined the two guns that he held in each of his hands.

"How wonderful, this is exactly the sort of power I've always imagined having," he said with a grin. He pointed his left gun at a tall pillar in the distance and clicked the trigger. The gun fired a massive blast of blue spirit energy, resembling a _Soukatsui_ Hado spell. The blast hit the pillar and utterly demolished it. Koga was astounded and pleased by the amount of destruction he had just wrought with a single attack from his gun. He was even more pleased to see that the destruction of the pillar caused the chunks of rubble to crash down on several random Shinigami.

"Bwa, ha, ha, with these guns I can destroy all of Seireitei!" exclaimed Koga. He flash stepped to a higher location and fired both guns at the building he had been standing on below. The two _Soukatsui_ blasts streaked towards the two storey building. However before they hit the building they were suddenly intercepted by a massive _Raikoho _blast that slammed into them, and caused them to explode harmlessly in the air.

"What the fuck?" asked Koga. "Who did that?" His eyes then widened when he saw a person approaching from the right. The person's appearance frightened him. With long white hair that reached down to his waist and a long-sleeved captain's haori, the figure of Captain Ukitake Jushiro was unmistakable.

"Captain..Ukitake," stuttered Koga. Ukitake glanced his eyes at Koga as he approached, whilst unsheathing his sword from his scabbard.

"Former fifth seat Akumaru Koga, isn't it?" asked Ukitake. Koga tensed at having Ukitake say his name.

"I can comprehend what you are doing, but I would advise you to stand down peacefully and surrender yourself," said Ukitake. "This uprising that you and the other fifth division deserts are involved in is pointless. What can you possibly hope to accomplish?"

"You're asking what I can hope to accomplish? What a dumb question!" laughed Koga. "All I want to accomplish is to fulfill Aizen Taicho's wishes! And one of his wishes is to have you captains dead!"

"Is that so? Well, I am afraid that your endeavour is hopeless," said Ukitake. "As it seems you're not willing to surrender peacefully, I have no choice but to put you down." He grabbed his Zanpakuto with both hands in front of his body.

"All waves, rise now and become my shield. Lightning, strike now and become my blade, _Sogyo no Kotowari_!" shouted Ukitake. The blade in his hands split down the middle and a second later divided into two separate blades attached to each other at their hilts by a long red chain with five silver metal square charms dangling from it. The blades themselves were now of a different shape, with each blade having a separate smaller blade jutting out at a diagonal angle and running backwards parallel to the main blade. Koga gazed at Ukitake's Zanpakuto in awe. It was one of the few twin bladed Zanpakuto in all of Soul Society.

"Bah, I'm not intimidated by your twin Zanpakuto!" shouted Koga. He pointed both guns at Ukitake. "Take this!" The two guns both fired a _Soukatsui_ blast at Ukitake at the same time. Ukitake pointed both his blades forward. Koga watched in astonishment as the blasts were absorbed into both tips of the blade. A second later both tips of Ukitake's blade fired out a blue energy blast back at Koga, who barely managed to dodge them both.

"What the hell was that?" asked Koga.

"This is my Zanpakuto's ability," said Ukitake. "_Sogyo no Kotowari_ can absorb any spirit energy attack and redirects them back at the opponent through this red cord that joins the two blades. The five charms dangling from the cord disturb the course of any absorbed attack so that they are fired out at double the speed and intensity of the original attack."

"No…way," said Koga. Ukitake grinned.

"Your spirit guns are the perfect fodder for my Zanpakuto. It is pointless to continue attack me," said Ukitake.

"Oh yeah? Well then let's see if you fend off a thousand blasts from my guns at once!" shouted Koga. He charged his spirit energy in front of the barrels of each gun. "_Renzoku Soukatsui_!" Ukitake jumped back in reflex as he saw Koga's guns start firing a continuous stream of blue energy blasts at him. He managed to avoid the first wave of blasts, which detonated with the ground, creating numerous pockmarked craters. Ukitake flash stepped until he was a hundred metres away from Koga.

"Do you think you can run away from me? Tale this!" Koga intensified his firepower, resulting in the guns firing five blasts every second. Rather than running away or dodging them, Ukitake stood his ground. He pointed the blade in his right hand in front of him. He chanted some words silently and waited. As the blasts neared him they hit what appeared to be an invisible wall. Instead of detonating the blasts seemingly vanished, as if they were absorbed by the air itself.

"What the fuck just happened?" asked Koga in disbelief. All of his blasts had seemingly vanished. A moment later, the air in front of Ukitake started to shimmer and glow a bright blue. Then, before Koga could react a thousand blue energy blasts suddenly came out of nowhere and flew towards him. Unable to get out of the way in time, Koga was caught up in the torrent, his body pummeled by multiple blasts as they flew past him. When the storm of blasts finally subsided, Koga's clothing had been almost torn to shreds and his body was covered with wounds and bleeding all over. Despite his horrific injuries he was still alive. He fell to the ground and landed on his back. His guns disappeared, replaced with a bare asauchi. Ukitake flash stepped beside him.

"I suggest you surrender now. You are in no shape to fight after taking the brunt of my _Rai Hanshakyou_."

"_Rai…Hanshakyou_?" asked Koga in a hoarse voice.

"It is a move that projects an invisible force field in front of my body that can absorb any spirit energy that is directed towards me, before firing it back at my opponent. It is my Shikai's ultimate ability. Now then, if you surrender quietly I will spare your life."

For a moment there was no response from Koga. Ukitake wondered if was dead. As he leaned forward Koga suddenly jumped up again and slashed Ukitake across the chest. By pure reflex Ukitake avoided being seriously cut, but a large spray of his blood nevertheless splattered on the ground. Ukitake jumped back a step as he saw Koga struggle to his feet again. Despite copious amount of blood still dripping down the sides of his body, he was still eager to fight as he gripped his sword with both hands.

"I am not going down yet, until I take your life!" screamed Koga. He charged at Ukitake and slashed at him in a giant downward arc. Koga's attack was blocked by Ukitake's right hand blade. Ukitake was now in a somber mood.

"I did the honourable thing of allowing you a chance to surrender gracefully," said Ukitake. "I am disappointed that a man as young as you is willing to throw your life away." In a swift movement Ukitake slashed Koga across the waist with his left hand blade. Koga gasped in shock as his entire body was bisected. The two pieces of his body fell onto one another. Ukitake watched on in sadness as the life in Koga's eyes slowly faded. Then, with a heavy sigh, Ukitake returned his Zanpakuto to its sealed state and placed it in his scabbard.

"I guess that is one enemy down," said Ukitake. A moment later a sudden pain gripped his lungs and he started coughing blood. "Damn it! Not again!" It took him almost a minute to recover himself.

"Shit, looks like my conditions had flared up again. I better get back to the barracks," said Ukitake. He slowly headed off in the direction of his division's barracks.

* * *

At the exact same moment Ukitake was fighting Koga, his lieutenant was busy running the affairs of the division.

"Sentaro! Kiyone! Stop messing around and help me!" shouted Rukia. She was frustrated at having to deal with the additional workload, and the two third seats were not helping her, as they were both sitting outside the captain's office, apparently drinking sake.

"Aw come on Rukia-chan, why are you so anxious? The Taicho will be back soon, so there's no hurry to get things done," said Kiyone.

"Just relax Kuchiki and enjoy yourself," said Sentaro. Rukia was about to get up and beat both of them up for their insubordination when all of a sudden she felt a massive explosion nearby, followed by the screams of several people.

"What was that?" asked Rukia.

"I sounded like a bomb went off," said Kiyone.

"Go and check to see what it is," ordered Rukia. The two third seats rushed down the hallway at Rukia's orders. Rukia was about to go back to her work when she suddenly heard Kiyone and Sentaro scream. Almost at once Rukia rushed out of the captain's office and ran down the corridor. As she neared a walkway that led to an open area, she froze in her tracks. To the right of the walkway, the entire open area had been flooded, and one of the walls on the left side had been blasted open. Numerous division members were lying unconscious upon the water's surface, including Sentaro and Kiyone.

"Sentaro! Kiyone! What happened?" asked Rukia. She attempted to awaken them.

"Don't bother. They won't awake for several hours," said a voice. Rukia looked up. She saw a figure that made her eyes widen in shock. Floating in the middle of the flooded area was a strange looking man. He had dark blue hair that was slicked upright exposing most of his forehead and sparkling blue eyes. He was wearing a yellow coloured vest that exposed his midriff and baggy white pants. But the most distinctive feature about the man was his face. His face looked almost like the face of her former superior, Shiba Kaien. Despite having not seen such a man before, Rukia couldn't shake off a sense of déjà vu.

"Who…are you?" she asked the man.

"You want to know who I am? I thought you of all people would recognise me," said the man. "Then again, perhaps not. I think this will jog your memory, Kuchiki."

Surprised at the man knowing her name, Rukia was even more stunned when the man summoned a Zanpakuto in his hands and started spinning it in a circle. But it was the words that came out of the man's mouth that made Rukia finally realize who the man was.

"Rankle the seas and heavens," chanted the man. Rukia gasped in shock as the sword in his hand transformed into a seven foot long golden coloured trident with a tip that ended in a corkscrew, a blue horsehair tassel hanging around the trident's three prongs, and a large stream of water that flowed out of both ends of the trident.

"Does this ring a bell, Kuchiki?" asked the man. Rukia was at a loss for words.

* * *

Notes: Sorry for the later than usual update. I 've got a writer's block for the past few days so the next update will take longer to come. This is the first of three all out battle chapters, pitting the prisoners with the Espadas' zanpakuto against the captains. For Ukitake's fight I gave his Shikai a new move -Rai Hanshakyou (Lightning Reflector), which suits his Zanpakuto's abilities.


	28. Chapter 28: Arrogance and Bloodlust

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 28 Arrogance and Bloodlust

"Are you ready Iba?" asked the captain of 7th Division Komamura Sajin. He strapped his Zanpakuto his waist.

"I am Taicho," said the 7th division lieutenant Tetzusaemon Iba. The two of them had been out on a mission when they received the distress summons from Sui Feng. They abandoned their mission and quickly returned to Seireitei. Having only gotten back to their division barracks a short while ago, Komamura and Iba quickly got themselves ready.

"Let's head out then," said Komamura. He and Iba left the division barracks. As they neared a set of narrow alleys they bumped into two familiar figures, the captain of 9th division Muguruma Kensei and his lieutenant Hisagi Shuhei.

"Captain Komamura!" exclaimed Hisagi.

"Hisagi-san, did you just come back from your mission too?" asked Komamura. Hisagi nodded. As the two divisions had close ties to each other, they were frequently sent on missions together.

"We were outside the walls of Seireitei when we heard the signal," said Kensei. "Just like you guys we rushed back here as soon as we could."

"So who do you think those intruders were?" asked Komamura as he faced Kensei.

"I don't know. It must be someone related to the fifth division, or else those Maggot's Nest prisoners would never have broken out," speculated Kensei.

"Is there a possibility that it might be Aizen?" asked Iba.

"No way! He's still locked up in the 8th level underground prison!" exclaimed Hisagi. "If he escaped all of Soul Society would have known about it."

"Hisagi is right. It can't be Aizen himself as all of his powers have sealed," said Kensei.

"Whoever the intruders are, we had better find them. The prisoners shouldn't be too hard to deal with," said Komamura. The four of them headed in a westerly direction, after detecting an enemy spiritual pressure. To save their time they cut across a narrow alleyway to get to an open area on the other side.

In hindsight, such a move was a big mistake, for none of them were able to detect a nearly invisible enemy that had crept up upon them. Before Komamura, Kensei or their lieutenants could react a cloud of darkness covered the entire alleyway and all four Shinigami suddenly realized they couldn't see.

"What is this?" asked Komamura. There was no response from the others. Kensei, Hisagi and Iba had said the same question and it was only after they spoke that each realized they couldn't hear each other either. As the four of them stood in the darkness, completely deprived of their senses, the invisible assailant struck. In a swift and deadly movement the assailant landed huge slashes across the front and back of Komamura, Kensei and Iba before grabbing the throat of Hisagi. Then, before Komamura, Kensei and Iba could fall to the ground, the assailant flash stepped onto one of the buildings above the alley, still holding Hisagi by the throat.

"What the hell happened?" asked Hisagi when his vision returned. He panicked when he noticed the hand around his throat. His eyes widened further when he saw the person who was grabbing him. He couldn't see the person's face, but the black cloak the person was wearing and the two sets of cricket like wings growing from his back made Hisagi instantly recognise the man's appearance.

"Are you…Suzumushi?" he asked. The man placed his other hand over Hisagi's mouth.

"Do not speak, Hisagi. There is a better time and place for us to talk," said the man. That was all Hisagi heard before his mind went blank.

In another part of Seireitei, near the abandoned third town, a prisoner with a black mask covered with a white skull symbol marched through the streets, his sword dripping with the blood of several random Shinigami who were slain by his hand.

"Bwa ha, ha, ha! I am invincible!" laughed the man, "I possess the most powerful Zanpakuto of all time!" As he walked forward the man encountered a patrol of six Shinigami in the street in front of him.

"Halt prisoner! Surrender peacefully or we will be forced to kill you!" shouted the Shinigami. The man with a black and white skull mask laughed.

"Do you really think you guys can kill me? I am the reaper of death! The one and only Senjuro-dono!"

"We don't care who you are. Put your hands in the air or we will attack you without prejudice," said one of the Shinigami. The man called Senjuro held his sword upside down.

"You guys are the perfect fodder for me to test my Zanpakuto's powers on. Rot, _Arrogante_!" A black cloud engulfed Senjuro's sword as it transformed into a huge double bladed axe, five foot long and black in colour. The twin axe blades were almost as long as the central shaft, which ended in a large spike at the tip. Around the spike were four golden chains that extended along the shaft of the axe and wrapped around Senjuro's arms.

"What kind of Zanpakuto is that?" asked the random Shinigami. As they raised their swords up in a defensive position Senjuro pointed the axe at them and shouted "_Respira_!" From the spike at the tip of the axe a black smoke-like substance appeared and spread towards the Shinigami. The Shinigami wondered what it was, but when the substance touched the closest Shinigami the man screamed as his hands started rotting. The other hapless Shinigami were also caught by the miasma. Senjuro looked on with a pleasant grin as the six Shinigami turned into little more than skeletons before the bones themselves disintegrated.

"Mwa ha, ha, with this power I am the master of death itself!" laughed Senjuro madly. He down the alley where the Shinigami had died and rounded the corner. His eyes glinted when he saw a large open area ahead of him filled with dozens of civilians, some of them nobles. As soon as they saw Senjuro the civilians panicked and tried to flee. Senjuro cackled madly and pointed his axe at them, firing another stream of _Respira_ from the tip.

Before the deadly gas could reach the civilians, it was intercepted by a large gust of wind that blew it into the sky, causing it to dissipate harmlessly in the air.

"Where did that wind come from?" asked Senjuro. He was furious that someone had stopped him from killing all of the civilians. His eyes widened in fear however when he saw a figure emerge from a rundown house to the right.

"Captain Commander…Kyoraku…" stuttered Senjuro. Kyoraku Shunsui, the acting Captain Commander, had already released his Zanpakuto, _Katen Kyokotsu_. His Shikai was unique in that it took the form of a pair of black coloured Chinese style Scimitars. The tip of each blade had a semi-circular indent, whilst the long red horsehair tassels hung from the pommels of each blade.

"My, my, that is an incredibly dangerous ability you have there, fourth seat of the 5th division, Murokujima Senjuro," said Shunsui.

"How do you know my full name? I've never told it to anyone, not even my comrades!" exclaimed Senjuro. "Everyone know me as 'Death's Head' Senjuro!"

"Do you really want to know where I got your name from? Don't underestimate my resources. As the acting Captain Commander, I have access to a database containing the names of every single Shinigami who has served in the Gotei 13.

"Now then, allow me to pose you a question. That Zanpakuto you have there looks familiar to me. An Arrancar by the name of Baraggan Luisenbarn had a weapon of similar appearance during the Battle of Fake Karakura Town. And, if I recall correctly, he too had an ability to spread a black cloud that aged everything it touched. Mind if you tell me where you acquired such a Zanpakuto?"

"Why should I tell you how I acquired it? All you need to know is that I now possess the most powerful Zanpakuto of all time in my hands! With this, I have control over life and death itself!" laughed Senjuro. "I am glad you appeared, Kyoraku Shunsui, for now I have an opportunity to claim the head of the Captain Commander himself!"

With that Senjuro pointed his axe at Shunsui and fired a rapid spread cloud of _Respira_. Shunsui regarded the cloud of death approaching him with indifference.

"Do not be so hasty to claim that you have an unbeatable Zanpakuto," said Shunsui. "Arrogance is the vice that can destroy the footholds of victory." Shunsui held his two blades out to his left and right sides. He then spun in a circle, chanting "_Bushogoma_" as he did so. The two blades fired two blade like gusts of wind that joined together to form a rapidly spinning mini tornado. The tornado engulfed the black cloud and seemingly blew it backwards, towards Senjuro.

"Impossible!" shouted Senjuro in astonishment. As he saw his own _Respira_ fly towards him at a greater speed than he fired it, he quickly jumped into the air. The black cloud blew past under him before dissipating. Senjuro was so focused on avoiding being hit by his own attack that he failed to keep track of Shunsui's whereabouts. He thus caught by surprise when Shunsui Shunpo-ed above Senjuro, holding his swords horizontally outwards from his body with the blades crossed with each other.

"_Takaoni_," said Shunsui. From the intersection of the blades came countless tiny black energy darts shaped like birds that pelted Senjuro's head, face and torso. The renegade 5th division member was sent crashing into the ground. The black darts continued pelting the spot where Senjuro had landed for a few more seconds. When the attack finished and the dust caused by the darts' impact cleared, Shunsui could see Senjuro lying upon his back in the middle of a three foot wide crater. His face and torso were covered with blood, courtesy of the numerous cuts he had suffered from being belted with the black darts. As Shunsui landed on the ground he saw Senjuro struggle to his feet. Blood still flowed down the sides of body.

"Seems like your Zanpakuto's ability isn't as great as you thought it was," said Shunsui. "You may be able to kill everything with it, but if even you are not safe from the black cloud of death your Zanpakuto creates, then your ability is an Achilles heel that can be used against you." Senjuro finally stood upright and glared at Shunsui with bloodshot eyes. His face was filled with murderous intent.

"Don't you dare…mock me!" shouted Senjuro with a hoarse voice. Despite his serious wounds he lifted up his huge axe and pointed it at Shunsui. "This time I will kill you for sure! _Respira_!" Senjuro was shocked when nothing came out of the tip of the axe.

"What the fuck is this? Why can't I use _Respira_?" asked Senjuro in a rage.

"Looks like you have only noticed it now," said Shunsui. "The true ability of my Zanpakuto."

"The true ability of your Zanpakuto?" Senjuro didn't understand Shunsui's words.

"My Zanpakuto _Katen Kyokotsu_'s ability is to make children's games real. Anyone caught within the vicinity of its spiritual pressure is forced to play by the rules it dictates, including myself. You were caught within _Katen Kyokotsu_'s sphere of influence the moment I sent your black cloud back at you using _Bushogoma_. Now, you must play by the rules my Zanpakuto sets. And the rules right now have disabled any special abilities your Zanpakuto may have."

"No way! This cannot be! My Zanpakuto's ability is absolute!" screamed Senjuro in a rage. He gripped his axe with both hands and swung it at Shunsui in a massive horizontal arc. The twin blades of the axe seemingly slashed through Shunsui's neck, decapitating him. Senjuro's moment of joy was brief when the 'Shunsui' he had slashed disappeared before his eyes. The real Shunsui appeared behind Senjuro a moment later, with one of his blades pointed at Senjuro's throat.

"Game over," said Shunsui. Before Senjuro could react Shunsui's left hand blade slashed all the way down his back, creating a huge gash of blood.

"This…can't…be," croaked Senjuro as his eyes rolled up into his head and he toppled over. Soon a large pool of blood formed beneath his body. Shunsui checked Senjuro's body. After realizing his opponent was already dead, Shunsui returned his twin Zanpakuto their normal status as a Tachi and Wazikashi pair, before sheathing them into his scabbards.

"Phew, that took a lot more out of me than I expected. To have been forced to use me trump card technique, _Bushin Oni_ as the finisher," said Shunsui. "This guy really was something." Shunsui sensed a friendly spiritual pressure nearby. He looked up at a nearby building and saw the 5th division captain Shinji.

"Yo Kyoraku-san, I didn't expect you to be on duty," said Shinji.

"I thought it would be good if I took a personal hand in suppressing this uprising," said Shunsui with a grin.

"Oh really? Well, you certainly did me a favour in getting rid of that Senjuro guy. He was one of the most dangerous of the deserters. With him down, there's probably only three deserters with Zanpakutos left."

"With the rest being ordinary prisoners that should be easily captured or killed," said Shunsui. "Well, I'm heading back to my barracks to resume command of my division. What about you Hirako-san?"

"I'm planning to hunt down the remaining escapees. Ichigo-san should be doing a good job of guarding the division barracks."

At the same moment Shinji was having a conversation with Shunsui, his lieutenant Ichigo was sitting in the fifth division captain's office, running the division's affairs until his captain returned. This basically translated to filling in the unfinished paperwork and assigning the lower ranking officers of the division some orders.

"Man, this is so boring," yawned Ichigo. "I wish Hirako Taicho would hurry up and come back. I'm bored out of my ass just sitting here." He wished he was outside right now hunting down the fifth division deserters alongside his captain. After he finished all of the paperwork, Ichigo decided to place his head upon the desk and take a nap.

He dozed off for no more than ten minutes before he heard a loud explosion nearby.

"What was that?" asked Ichigo as he sat upright again. A few seconds later an unranked member of the fifth division slammed open the door to the office.

"Lieutenant Kurosaki! You'd better come quickly!" shouted the fifth division member.

"What is the matter?" asked Ichigo. He quickly followed the unranked Shinigami down the hallway. When they reached the division's outdoor training quarters, Ichigo froze in his tracks. He was aghast at the sight in front of him. Nearly a dozen of his fellow division members, some of them seated officers, were lying unconscious on the ground, with their heads and bodies covered with blood. In the middle of the carnage was a man dressed in a white kosode and hakama; a prisoner from the Maggot's Nest. He had scruffy looking black hair that went down to his shoulders and piercing green eyes. He gripped a Zanpakuto in his right hand.

"Who are you?" asked Ichigo. "Are you the one responsible for this attack?" The prisoners glanced at Ichigo with a deadpan expression on his face.

"I am indeed the one responsible for defeating these worthless maggots," said the man. "But they were simply the bait to draw you out, Kurosaki Ichigo." Ichigo was shocked that the man knew his name.

"I'll ask the same question again: who the fuck are you?"

"That isn't the sort of language you should be using to address others, Kurosaki Ichigo," said the man. "You should be more patient, for I was about the introduce myself. I am the former 3rd seat of the 5th division, Mishima Kazuya. I have been ordered by Aizen Taicho himself to hunt you down and kill you?"

Ichigo shook his head as he unsheathed his sword. _He must be another one of those goons brainwashed by that damn woman with the kimono, _thought Ichigo.

"So, you've been assigned to kill me huh? Do you really think you can do it? You're just a third seat," said Ichigo.

"And? What are you implying? Do you think that just because you are now a lieutenant that you are superior to me?" asked Kazuya, "Don't be so naïve and arrogant!" Before Ichigo could reach Kazuya Shunpo-ed right in front of Ichigo and thrust his sword forward. Ichigo barely managed to bend backwards in time to avoid being stabled in his eyes. He did a backflip and landed on his feet against a wall. Ichigo gripped his sword with both hands. _This guy might be tougher than he looks_, thought Ichigo. He braced himself as Kazuya attacked him again.

"That's one down Kuchiki Taicho!" exclaimed Renji as he knocked out another prisoner with the flat side of his released Zanpakuto _Zabimaru_. He and his captain Byakuya had been late to respond to Sui Feng's earlier distress call, but the two of them managed to get themselves ready and deployed within a few minutes. Since exiting their division's barracks nearly half an hour before, they encountered several escaped Maggot's Nest prisoners who had attempted to break into houses to acquire weapons.

"Taicho, what should we do with the ones we've incapacitated?" asked Renji.

"Just leave them there," replied Byakuya. "The Executive Militia and the fourth division's medical healers have already been deployed to retrieve the bodies of all the prisoners who have been captured or killed. The ones who are either dead or grievously wounded will be taken to the fourth division's infirmary; the rest will be sent back to the Maggot's Nest."

"I understand Taicho." Renji followed his captain along a street. As they reached an intersection they bumped into a frantic looking Kusajishi Yachiru. Renji and Byakuya were surprised to see the 11th division lieutenant by herself.

"What is the matter, Lieutenant Kusajishi?" asked Byakuya.

"Bya-chan, Ren-chan, you've got to help us!" shouted Yachiru. She grabbed hold of Byakuya's hakama. "Something's happened to Ken-chan! He's gone berserk and is currently attacking Ikkaku-san and Yumichika-san!"

"What? Captain Zaraki-san is attacking his own men?" asked Renji in astonishment. Byakuya was also quite concerned.

"Lead us to him. We'll figure out a way to stop him," said Byakuya. He and Renji followed Yachiru down another street. They crisscrossed many intersections before the street they were following finally ended in a vast open plaza surrounded by twenty foot high walls. As soon as Byakuya and Renji arrived at the entrance to the plaza they could see three distinctive figures fighting in the middle of the plaza; Kenpachi, Ikkaku and Yumichika. Ikkaku and Yumichika were already covered with wounds and were barely able to fend off a seemingly berserk Kenpachi who was howling with bloodlust.

"Come on! I'll cut you to pieces!" shouted Kenpachi with a bestial tone.

'What the hell is going on?" asked Renji. "It looks like Captain Zaraki-san is mad. He's going to kill Ikkaku and Yumichika."

"Allow me to handle him," said Byakuya. He unsheathed his sword and held it upright in front of his body. "Scatter, _Senbonzakura_." His blade dissolved into a thousand pink blades that surrounded Kenpachi and pelted him multiple times. When Byakuya's attack finished, Kenpachi emerged barely unscathed by the thousand or so blades, but Byakuya had at least succeeded in drawing Kenpachi's attention away from Ikkaku and Yumichika, who were already at their limit.

"Cease this madness at once, Captain Zaraki," said Byakuya. "I do not know what has come over you, but attacking your own subordinates is unacceptable." Byakuya barely managed to dodge a sudden attack by Kenpachi and was forced to flash step a few feet backwards to avoid being cut by Kenpachi's sword.

"Are you alright Captain Kuchiki?" asked Renji.

"I am fine," said Byakuya. He stared at Kenpachi carefully. There was definitely something wrong with him but Byakuya struggled to make out a reasonable explanation. _Has Kenpachi finally lost all sense of reason? No, that can't be it, _thought Byakuya. It took him a few seconds to notice the strange mark on Kenpachi's forehead. When he did, Byakuya's eyes immediately widened in surprise. _That mark…I've seen it before_, thought Byakuya. The black tattoo shaped like a sun symbol reminded him of the Espada he had fought in his mission to Hueco Mundo during the Arrancar War.

"Renji, I need you to do me a favour," said Byakuya.

"What is it Captain Kuchiki?" asked Renji.

"It appears that Captain Zaraki is being controlled by some sort of Kido spell or Zanpakuto ability. Whoever is controlling him must be nearby. Search the vicinity of this area and find him. If the controller is killed the spell might wear off."

"And what are you going to do in the meantime Captain Kuchiki?"

"I will hold off Captain Zaraki for as long as possible. I may have to incapacitate him if he becomes too violent."

Renji understood the mission he had been assigned. He quickly Shunpo-ed away, leaving Byakuya to face off against Kenpachi. Yachiru had already managed to carry both Ikkaku and Yumichika to safety.

"Bya-chan, please save Ken-chan, okay?" asked Yachiru before she disappeared. Byakuya remembered her request as he brandished his sword at Kenpachi.

"I've been waiting for an opportunity to fight you for real, Byakuya," said Kenpachi. "In a battle to the death, with nothing holding us back."

"It appears that you still retain some sense of your identity," said Byakuya. "But whatever spell has been cast on you has apparently robbed you of all sense of your sanity. There is absolutely no reason for us to fight, but I will fight you if you persist in this madness."

"Do you really need a reason to fight? Warrior like you and I should just enjoy the thrill of battle!" laughed Kenpachi.

"I don't need to hear those words coming from you. I'm going to end this as soon as possible." With that sentence, Byakuya flash stepped behind Kenpachi and thrust his sword in an attempt to stab Kenpachi through his chest. His sword penetrated Kenpachi's back but failed to pierce through to the other side, for Kenpachi managed to grab hold of the blade with his left hand.

"Trying to end this battle in a single strike? That simply won't do. This battle was meant to last for a very long time!" exclaimed Kenpachi. Before Byakuya could react Kenpachi slashed him diagonally across the front of his torso. It was only through an instinctive reflex action that saved Byakuya from being completely cut in half. As he flash stepped backwards after removing his sword from Kenpachi's grip, his left hand clutched his chest, as a large amount of blood dripped onto the ground._ That was close_, thought Byakuya. _I may have to go all out just to subdue him_.

"It appears I have underestimated your desire to fight me," said Byakuya to Kenpachi. "I shall honour that desire by crushing you with all of my power."

"Yes, now that's what I'm talking about! Show me your Bankai! I'll take it on!" exclaimed Kenpachi. But Byakuya didn't immediately release his Bankai. Instead he pointed his left index and middle fingers at Kenpachi and chanted "Bakudo 61, _Rikujokorou_." A second later Kenpachi's waist was impaled by six rectangular yellow rods of light, completely immobilizing his body.

"Hey, this isn't fair. You shouldn't use kido bullshit to win," said Kenpachi.

"Did I ever say I was going to fight fair? Against a bloodlusted maniac like you, fighting fair is something that would be the last option I'd resort to," said Byakuya. He dropped his sword, chanting "Bankai" as he did so. The sword merged with the ground and a second later a thousand ten foot high large blades rose from the ground on either side of Byakuya, as the entire area around him was covered in darkness.

"_Senbonzakura Kageyoshi_," said Byakuya. With those words the man-sized blades disintegrated into millions of tiny pink coloured blades that engulfed Kenpachi in a gigantic dome nearly fifty foot in diameter. From inside the dome, Kenpachi watches as the uncountable swarm of blades flew past him.

"Ha, what are you going to do with these blades? Are you simply going to use them to trap me inside this dome?" asked Kenpachi. Standing outside the dome, Byakuya did not hear Kenpachi's words. He only said three words, "_Gokei_¸_ Senbonzakura Kageyoshi_." In an instant the entire dome collapsed onto Kenpachi in a massive storm of blades that created an enormous crater almost a hundred foot wide and several feet deep. As the millions of blades fell onto the ground, the figure of Kenpachi emerged in the centre of the crater. His Shihakusho and captain's haori had been almost torn to shreds and his entire body was dripping with blood from head to toe. Yet to Byakuya's surprise, Kenpachi still appeared to be standing tall, as if the attack had barely affected him. Byakuya was further unnerved when Kenpachi started laughing.

"Ha, ha, ha, I love this sensation! This is what I've been waiting for!" laughed Kenpachi. "To fight with a Bankai as powerful as yours, Kuchiki Byakuya! Finally I have the chance to go all out!" Byakuya watched as Kenpachi removed the eyepatch from his right eye and threw it onto the ground. In an instant Kenpachi was surrounded by an immense surge of yellow spiritual pressure that shot up high into the sky. His spiritual pressure was so powerful that even Byakuya was visibly affected by it, having to exert his own spiritual pressure in order to avoid being crushed by Kenpachi's reiatsu.

When his reiatsu finally stabilized, Kenpachi swung his sword upward in a single swift stroke. The movement created a huge semi-circular shockwave of air pressure that flew towards Byakuya at incredible speed. Byakuya bent his body backwards in an effort to avoid the shockwave, but even he couldn't evade it completely, as the shockwave ripped through his right shoulder blades and cut the scarf around his neck in half.

_What monstrous cutting power_, thought Byakuya. _Even Kageyoshi's normal state isn't enough to defend against it_.

"What is the matter Kuchiki Byakuya? Are you fazed from one of my measly slashes?" asked Kenpachi. "If that is the case, then I am disappointed. Surely you can survive against my full reiatsu for more than a single blow."

"Of course I can," said Byakuya. "I will simply have to switch to a more offensive state. _Senkei, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi_." As he spoke those words, he collected the scattered blades of his Bankai and reformed them into thousands of complete swords, arranged in a series of four rows that encircled himself and Kenpachi, creating a vast amphitheatre around them. Kenpachi looked at the scene with a sense of wonder as Byakuya caused one of the thousands or so spectral blades to be summoned into his right hand, taking the form of his unsealed sword.

"Now this is what I'm talking about," said Kenpachi. With a single flex of his reiatsu, he broke the kido that had been restraining him and charged at Byakuya. Byakuya blocked Kenpachi's downward slash by holding his sword with both hands. This one clash of blades created a shockwave that rippled outwards. The two combatants then engaged in a rapid and frenzied exchange of blades. Both Kenpachi and Byakuya went for the jugular each time, with neither of them giving the other ground. Only their skilled reflexes prevented both of them from being instantly cut in half by the other.

The fight lasted for ages, and soon both combatants were tiring, their spiritual energy reserves being depleted with every blow. Each of them began suffering numerous minor cuts upon their bodies that slowly weakened them to the point where blows that might have been easily blocked were getting through each other's defences. Finally, after one final exchange of blows that left Kenpachi and Byakuya with a slash upon their left shoulder blades, they faced off against each other again.

"This fight has gone on for long enough, Zaraki Kenpachi," said Byakuya. "It is time to end this farce." With a mere thought he caused the thousands of blades surrounding them both to coalesce around him. His spiritual pressure intensified as the millions of blades condensed into a single solid sword of pure white. Two white wings grew from Byakuya's back and his head was surrounded by a concentric halo of spirit energy.

"_Shukei, Hakuteikan_," said Byakuya.

"Mwa, ha, ha, if you are going for the final blow then I should too, Kuchiki Byakuya!" shouted Kenpachi. To Byakuya's surprise, Kenpachi placed his left hand upon his sword's pommel, and held his Zanpakuto in a Kendo stance. After a second of face off, the two Shinigami captains charged at each other. The resulting clash created a truly enormous dome of spiritual energy that could be seen for miles all around, and completely destroyed the entire open area they had been fighting in.

"What was that?" asked Renji as he sensed a huge clash of spiritual pressures. He looked up and saw a towering dome of white spiritual energy nearly a hundred feet high. The dome was coming from the place his captain was fighting Kenpachi.

"Oh no, something must be happening to Captain Kuchiki!" exclaimed Renji. He was torn between returning to the scene of the fight or continuing to search for the mysterious individual who was supposedly brainwashing Kenpachi. Eventually he made up his mind.

"Ah stuff this, someone else can find that bastard!" he swore. "Aiding my captain is more important!" With that he quickly Shunpo-ed back to where Byakuya and Kenpachi were fighting. When he reached the scene of the battle, he froze in utter shock and astonishment. The entire plaza where he had first seen Kenpachi fighting his subordinates was completely destroyed, with all of the walls surrounding it having been blown away. The formerly flat surface was replaced by a crater nearly two hundred metres across several metres deep. In the center of that crater were two individuals, Byakuya and Kenpachi.

Whilst the two of them were still standing, they had each received a potentially mortal wound from the other in their final flash. Byakuya had impaled his sword through Kenpachi's chest, while Kenpachi 's sword was embedded deep in Byakuya's left shoulder.

"I'll be damned, I didn't think you were that tough, Kuchiki Byakuya," grinned Kenpachi. The black tattoo on his forehead disappeared. "I'm glad you and I had had a battle like this." With those words, Kenpachi fell onto his back, as his sword broke in half. A few seconds after Kenpachi fell, Byakuya also collapsed onto his back, as his Bankai disappeared, replaced with his sealed Zanpakuto. _Damn that Kenpachi_, thought Byakuya as he slowly lost consciousness. His last sight before he blacked out was seeing his lieutenant Renji screaming his name and running towards him.

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Notes: This chapter took a long time to write, but it was worth it. I think the fight between Byakuya and Kenpachi alone will make the chapter memorable. I've always wanted to pit those two against each other in a real fight, after the minor skirmishes they had in the FKT arc and in the Zanpakuto Strange Tales arc. Another interesting part of this chapter is Shunsui's performance against the wielder of Baraggan's Zanpakuto. Had Shunsui fought against Baraggan rather than Starrk, I suspect he would have fared almost as well given his Shikai's abilities. Finally, in anticipation of reader comments, I'll have to say that Hisagi has indeed been kidnapped by Tousen's Zanpakuto.


	29. Chapter 29: Eagle Without Wings

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 29 Eagle Without Wings

"That was Nii-sama's reiatsu just now," said Rukia as she landed on the roof of a building in the grounds of the 13th division barracks. She had sensed the incredible clash of spiritual pressures and had seen the enormous dome of white spiritual energy forming near the vicinity of the eleventh division's barracks. She had wondered about the identity of the people who were fighting, but as soon as both spiritual pressures started dropping, one of them became unmistakable to Rukia. _What's going over there? Nii-sama's reiatsu is fading rapidly…don't tell me he's on the verge of death!_

Her brief fixation on the fate of her brother caused Rukia to be distracted from her own battle. She barely managed to avoid another blast of water that destroyed the fragile roof she had been standing on and flooded the corridors below her. As she landed on another nearby roof, Rukia started panting heavily. She glared at her opponent, the Zanpakuto of her former mentor Shiba Kaien, Nejibana. She was still emotionally settled by his appearance.

"What is wrong Kuchiki? Are you worried about your brother?" asked Nejibana with a sly grin. "Do you fear for his safety? Or his life? You must have little confidence in his survival then. Instead of thinking about your brother, you should be thinking about your own situation. Isn't that what your mentor and my master Shiba Kaien-sama taught you?"

"Those are choice words coming from the Zanpakuto of Kaien-dono," Rukia answered back. "I honestly thought you ceased to exist when I killed the ninth Espada Aaroniero Arruruerie. After all, he was one who possessed the spirit body of Kaien-dono."

"You are half correct in your assumption Kuchiki," said Nejibana. "I was out of commission when the spirit body of my master was ultimately destroyed by you. But I was somehow re-energized by some unknown entity. That entity has instilled within me a desire for vengeance upon you, the woman you killed my master."

'So you're motivated by revenge huh?" asked Rukia. "I thought you had the same personality as Kaien-dono. He wasn't angry at me at all for killing him. In his last moments with me Kaien-dono actually thanked me for giving him a peaceful end."

"Hah, that is what you think! You must have surely known from your fight with the Espada who possessed my master's body that Kaien-sama wasn't dead when you stabbed him that night. He merely disappeared from Soul Society and re-appeared in Hueco Mundo. You can't imagine what it must have been like for me. To have your master fuse with a homicidal hollow, to watch him die and be reborn again in some unknown place, to have his body eaten, and finally to be used by the same hollow who ate his body. Do you know the torment I went through? And the worst misery for me is to watch myself disappear at the hands of the same person who stabbed my master! But my nightmares are in the past Kuchiki. Thanks to my unknown benefactor, I finally have an opportunity to pay you back for everything you've done to my master and I!"

Rukia sighed deeply. She had never imagined that the ghosts of her tragic past would come back to haunt her again like this. She had hoped that the soul of her beloved mentor had been finally laid to rest when she defeated Aaroniero._ I guess I have no choice but to fight him_, thought Rukia. She stood up and unsheathed her sword from its scabbard, holding it in front of her body.

"Dance, _Sode no Shirayuki_," chanted Rukia as she spun her spun around in a vertical circle. Her Zanpakuto transformed into its released state, a sword of pure white with a long white tassel growing from the end of the pommel. Rukia gripped her Shikai with both hands.

"You leave me no choice but to fight you," said Rukia. "Here I come, Nejibana." She flash stepped in front of Nejibana and swung her released sword down at his head. Nejibana blocked with his trident. Sparks of energy were created from the clash of their weapons.

"That level of attack is not good enough, Kuchiki!" shouted Nejibana. He batted Rukia's sword away with a single half stroke of his trident, and proceeded to swing his trident around his right hand. The surge of water created by Nejibana's swings blew Rukia backwards. Rukia gasped as she crashed into the roof of a nearby building, landing awkwardly on her back. As she tried to get up she saw Nejibana reappear immediately above her. With a sinister grin Nejibana held his trident with both hands and tried to jab it downwards at Rukia's chest.

Rukia rolled to her side and narrowly avoided being impaled by the trident as it smashed a hole through the roof. She continued rolling several times before jumping into the air. She then did a series of mid-air pirouettes before landing on her feet on the roof of another building.

"Ha, I'm surprised that you managed to evade that blow Kuchiki!" laughed Nejibana. His smug grin disappeared however when Rukia pointed her left finger at him.

"Bakudo 61, _Rikujokorou_!" she shouted. A second later Nejibana's waist was impaled by six rectangular yellow rods of light.

"Damn you!" swore Nejibana as he became immobilized. Seizing the opportunity she had created, Rukia quickly impaled the roof in front of her four times with her sword, before holding her sword horizontally in front of her. Four streams of snow rose from the incisions she had made. They coalesced in front of Rukia's blade.

"Tsugi no Mai, _Hakuren_!" shouted Rukia. She fired a massive blast of snow and ice at Nejibana. Before the attack could hit him however Nejibana managed to break out of the binding spell and flash stepped out of the way just in time. The blast of snow and ice shot past him and froze the roofs of all the buildings behind him.

"A good move Kuchiki, but not good enough!" exclaimed Nejibana as he landed on another nearby roof. As soon as his feet touched the surface of the roof he was instantly ambushed by Rukia, who appeared behind him.

"Some no Mai, _Tsukishiro_!" shouted Rukia as she swung her sword in a circular arc, drawing a five foot wide white circle under Nejibana's feet. As the ice started to encroach on Nejibana's legs the Zanpakuto quickly jumped into the air and to the side as a large column of ice shot up from the circle, extending far into the sky.

"Shit, I almost had him," swore Rukia in frustration. She had missed her best opportunity to catch Nejibana off guard and defeat him.

"I am impressed Kuchiki. You certainly are far stronger now than you were when you fought that Arrancar," said Nejibana. "But you are still not even close to beating me. I'll show you now why I am still more powerful than the Zanpakuto you wield."

Rukia watched on with awe as a vortex of water appeared beneath Nejibana's feet. The Zanpakuto held his trident with both hands above his head and started spinning it in a circle, at first slowly but then building up speed until his trident appeared to be nothing but a blur of water.

"_Mai no Umishin_," said Nejibana. A few seconds later multiple geysers of superheated water shot out from the ground, destroying all of the nearby buildings in the process, and turning the entire division's barracks into a flooded landscape. Rukia was so focused on the spectacle of the geysers that she failed to sense the geyser bubbling beneath the roof she was standing on until it was too later. A geyser shot up and sent Rukia flying into the air as it destroyed the roof she had been standing on.

It took all of Rukia's willpower to stop her upward trajectory and float in mid-air again. The few seconds she wasted in the process caused her to lose track of Nejibana's presence. The Zanpakuto seized on the opening Rukia had presented him with and leaped towards her in a single flash step. Before Rukia could even raise her sword to defend herself Nejibana thrust his trident horizontally through her waist region. The three prongs of the trident punctured Rukia's stomach and intestines but failed to pierce all the way through her body. Despite this lucky occurrence, Rukia still felt excruciating pain blood and fluids flowed from her ruptured internal organs. She coughed a huge glob of blood from her mouth.

_So this is it huh, _thought Rukia. _This is my limit. I couldn't surpass Kaien-dono's Zanpakuto after all_. She sighed heavily. _I'm so hopeless. I thought I had buried Kaien-dono's ghost when I defeated the 9__th__ Espada. I guess I was wrong_. Having all but conceded defeat, Rukia prayed that she would receive a quick, merciful death from Nejibana, or that she would at least pass out from the excruciating pain she was currently experiencing.

"If you are going to kill me Nejibana, then at least do it right now," said Rukia in a barely audible voice. "End my life this instant."

"You want me to give you a quick, painless death? Hello no Kuchiki!" shouted Nejibana. "I'm going to make you suffer the same way my master did when he died." Rukia was angered by Nejibana's stance but it was too later for her to complain. She could barely feel her arms or legs anymore. Her grip on her sword started slipping, and her eyesight started to waver.

"_Don't give in_!" shouted a sudden voice in Rukia's ear. It was a voice that was all too familiar to Rukia. _Shirayuki-san_? She thought in her mind. A moment later, a figure materialized beside Rukia. It was Sode no Shirayuki herself, an absolutely stunning woman with pale blue hair that was clipped on her left side, and dressed in a lavish white kimono with a large light purple ribbon tie at the back. Rukia was amazed at her appearance but somehow Nejibana didn't seem to notice.

"Are you really going to die here Rukia?" asked Shirayuki. "What will happen to your family and your nakama? Are you just going to leave them behind? Where has the vow you made that you never going to die alone gone to? There is no way you are dying until you leave your heart to the ones you love!"

_She's right_, thought Rukia. _I shouldn't have given up on living so easily. I still have a way out of this!_ As she saw Sode no Shirayuki disappear, Rukia's determination was renewed. She gripped the shaft of Nejibana's trident with her left hand. As she did so the shaft started to freeze, with the ice spreading upwards until it covered the prongs of the trident.

"What the hell are you doing?" asked Nejibana. His eyes widened when Rukia lifted up her sword to have it directly in line with Nejibana's chest.

"San no Mai, _Shirafune_!" shouted Rukia. Before Nejibana could react, Rukia's blade suddenly extended by more than two feet. The lengthened blade impaled Nejibana right through his heart. The Zanpakuto coughed up a wad of blood from his mouth. He stared at Rukia in with an expression of disbelief.

"How…? You should have been dead already…" croaked Nejibana. Rukia grinned.

"You may be Kaien-dono's Zanpakuto, but don't possess any fraction of his heart at all, for Kaien-dono already passed his heart onto me!" shouted Rukia. She swiftly withdrew her blade, causing a spray of blood to shoot out from the gaping hole in Nejibana's chest. Nejibana screamed in agony as the trident he had been holding shattered in a multitude of pieces. This caused Rukia to fall into the flooded ground of her division's barracks below.

"You bitch!" swore Nejibana as he clutched the wound in his chest tightly. "I'll get you for this! The next time we meet I will be sure to kill you!" With that, the Zanpakuto disappeared from sight. As the blood flowing from the wounds in her waist flowed into the water, a single thought filled Rukia's head. _Just you wait Nejibana. The next time we meet I'll finally surpass you._ The thought continued to fill her mind as she slowly lost consciousness.

* * *

"I'm worried Rangiku-san," said Hinamori as she watched out of the window of the tenth division captain's office.

"Worried about what Momo-chan?" asked Matsumoto, lying down on a couch next to the captain's desk. The two of them had been staying in their captain's office ever since Hitsugaya had left the division barracks to hunt down the escaped prisoners. It had been more than half a day since Hitsugaya had departed and the sun was starting to set below the horizon.

"I'm worried about Shiro-chan. It's been hours since he left us here and he still hasn't returned yet," said Hinamori.

"Don't worry about him Momo-chan. I am sure he will return soon enough," said Matsumoto. She let out a lazy yawn.

"Hmph, you're so mean Rangiku-san!" scolded Hinamori. She turned away from the window. "I'm going back to my quarters then." Before Hinamori could reach the door of the captain's office, the she had just been observing through shattered into a thousand pieces. The shockwave that caused the window the shatter knocked Hinamori against a wall and caused Matsumoto to fall off the couch she had been sleeping on.

"What the hell was that?" asked Matsumoto as she clambered back onto the couch. When she peered up at the now destroyed window her entire body froze in disbelief. Standing right in front of the window was a figure that made Matsumoto doubt her own eyes. _It can't be!_ _I watched him die with my own eyes_, thought Matsumoto. Like a ghost from the past, a person who resembled the late Ichimaru Gin seemingly stood in front of the window frame, wearing a light blue coloured Shihakusho.

"Long time no see, Rangiku-chan," said the figure. His voice was almost exactly like Gin's. As he climbed into the office, Rangiku fell off the couch again, this time from utter shock. In an almost instinctual reaction she shuffled back until she was against the office's front wall.

"What is the matter Rangiku-chan? Are you scared to see me again?" asked the Gin-like figure.

"Of course I am! You can't be alive! I saw your body die and disappear in my arms!" exclaimed Matsumoto. "Are you really Gin?"

"Maybe, maybe not. I'll tell ya if you come with me," said the man with a sly but seemingly menacing grin.

"I'm not letting you take Rangiku-san away!" exclaimed Hinamori. She unsheathed her sword and held it with both hands. "Snap, _Tobiume_!" Her sword changed shape, with two jutte-like prongs extending out from the main blade at is middle and towards its tip. With her released Zanpakuto, Hinamori shot a fireball from the blade's tip. The fireball flew towards the man who resembled Gin, but the man easily dodged the fireball by stepping to the side.

"My, my you are nuisance, little girl," said the man. "I can't have you interfere with my conversation with Rangiku-san." With a thought he summoned a wazikashi into his right hand and pointed it at Hinamori. Before Hinamori could react the blade suddenly expanded and impaled her right shoulder, pinning her against the wall. Despite the excruciating pain, Hinamori attempted to remove the blade from her shoulder. As she did so, she watched in horror as the silver-haired man walked up to Matsumoto.

"Run Rangiku-san!" shouted Hinamori. "Don't let him take you!" Her words had no effect. The shock of seeing someone who looked like Gin rendered Matsumoto completely immobile and speechless. She didn't even try to resist when the man lifted her up and placed her over his right shoulder. He then grabbed hold of his sword and extracted it from Hinamori's shoulder blade, causing her to fall forwards onto her hands and knees.

"Bye, bye," waved the man to Hinamori as he stepped out of the window. Hinamori could only watch on in helplessness as he took Matsumoto away.

"Rangiku-chan," said Hinamori. She started sobbing in despair.

* * *

As sunset neared, the uprising throughout Seireitei had been mostly contained, with almost all of the prisoners either dead or captured. The only place where conflict was still raging was the fifth division's barracks, which were quickly becoming a scene of devastation, as Ichigo struggled with the former fifth division's third seat, Mishima Kazuya.

"_Getsuga Tensho_!" shouted Ichigo as he swung his released Zanpakuto _Zangetsu_ at Kazuya. The resulting crescent shaped blue energy blast flew towards Kazuya. Kazuya casually dodged it and allowed the blast to smash and destroy another one of the barracks' walls.

"Are you that callous towards your own division's property?" asked Kazuya nonchalantly. "This is the third wall you've destroyed with that attack."

"Shut up!" yelled Ichigo. He wiped a spot of blood from his lip. _Damn it, this guy's tougher than I expected, _thought Ichigo. _Merely spamming Getsuga attacks against him won't cut it_. Ichigo decided that he had to resort to his other abilities if he was to win.

"Have you given up already?" asked Kazuya.

"Hardly," replied Ichigo. Holding his sword with two hands he flash stepped right in front of Kazuya. Ichigo thrust his sword out at Kazuya's head. Kazuya jumped into the air to avoid the attack. Ichigo had anticipated this move, and as Kazuya reached the apex of his jump, Ichigo pointed his left middle and index fingers at Kazuya.

"Bakudo 9, _Horin_," chanted Ichigo. An orange hued tendril of energy with a spiraling yellow pattern shot out of his fingers and wrapped itself around Kazuya's waist, temporarily immobilizing him.

"I've got you now Kazuya," said Ichigo. With his left hand controlling the rope of energy wrapped around Kazuya, Ichigo raised _Zangetsu_ above his head and fired another _Getsuga Tensho_. The crescent shaped blue energy attack flew towards Kazuya. Unable to escape in time, Kazuya resorted to slashing the blast with his sword as it reached him. Though he managed to cut the blast in half, Kazuya was still hit by the attack. He grimaced in pain as the two portions of the _Getsuga_ tore through his right shoulder blade and right hand waist, causing small amounts of blood to spurt out. Ichigo tried to attack Kazuya again but the former 5th division third seat was able to break out of the binding spell and flash stepped behind Ichigo.

"Shit, I almost had him," said Ichigo. Kazuya breathed heavily.

"I have to admit I underestimated your capabilities Kurosaki Ichigo," said Kazuya. "You definitely have the power of a lieutenant officer."

"Ha, thanks for the compliment," laughed Ichigo.

"But, your power is still incomparable to mine. Aizen Taicho gave me a Zanpakuto that far surpasses yours. I shall use it now to bring you the edge of despair before killing you."

"Bring me to the edge of despair? I've heard such words spoken by other opponents I've fought before, but I doubt you'll be able to break my resolve before you break my body."

"Oh really?" asked Kazuya. "You seem awfully confident when you haven't even seen my Zanpakuto yet. When you see it, I guarantee your heart will fill with despair."

Kazuya held his Zanpakuto to his right side and let go of it, seemingly making it hover in the air. He then chanted the words "Enclose, _Murcielago_." Ichigo watched on in awe as the entire sword transformed into a black rod-like object with spiky protrusions at either end. The release didn't end there, for as soon as Kazuya grabbed hold of the rod, two jets of glowing green light shot out from either side before condensing into solid beams of energy. As Ichigo stared at Kazuya's released Zanpakuto, a shudder went through his heart. The release command Kazuya had just uttered and the resulting shape of his Shikai made Ichigo recall the one enemy that had brought him to the brink of despair and made him lose all sense of sanity; the fourth Espada Ulquiorra Cifer.

"From the look on your face, it seems you recognise the Zanpakuto I currently wield in my hands," said Kazuya. "It is indeed the former Zanpakuto of the Arrancar whom you fought upon the roof of Las Noches. I believe his name was Ulquiorra."

"How…how is it possible that you've attained Ulquiorra's Zanpakuto?" asked Ichigo. "I watched him turn to ashes before my eyes! No part of him should have survived!"

"Is that a question I should really answer? All you need to know is that Aizen Taicho made it happen, and that he gave me this tool to specifically strike despair into your heart once again," said Kazuya. With that Kazuya suddenly flash stepped right in front of Ichigo and swung his dual-bladed staff at Ichigo's head. Ichigo barely managed to dodge the attack by bending back at the last moment. This exposed his guard for a brief moment, which Kazuya took advantage off, kicking Ichigo hard in the stomach with his left foot. Ichigo slammed against a wall before dropping to the ground. As he got onto his knees again, Ichigo looked up and saw Kazuya raising his double-bladed staff above his head, holding it like a javelin.

"It is over, Kurosaki Ichigo," said Kazuya. With a great heave he threw the double-bladed staff at Ichigo. Ichigo was barely able to bring up his Zanpakuto in an attempt to shield his body. The staff's front blade hit the blunt end of Ichigo's sword, creating a small dent, but it was the momentum behind the staff's throw that did the damage, as Ichigo was sent crashing through the wall. He hurtled back through two more sets of walls before he finally skidded to a halt in the front courtyard of his division barracks. Several of his fellow division comrades, who had just returned from hunting down escaped prisoners, gasped as they saw the fallen figure of their lieutenant. Ichigo struggled to get to his feet, his head now throbbing due to a nasty wound to his forehead that caused a large amount of blood to flow down the side of his face.

"Are you alright Kurosaki Fukutaicho?" asked one of the division members.

"I'm fine," said Ichigo, even though he was panting heavily. He looked up and saw Kazuya approach him, walking casually through each of the destroyed sections of wall. Ichigo clenched _Zangetsu_ with both hands and held it in front of him, despite his legs being barely able to support his body.

"Are you still determined to fight, Kurosaki Ichigo?" asked Kazuya. "Even though you stand no chance against me?"

"Of course I do. I'm not giving up until the moment I die," said Ichigo. "Besides, how do you know I don't stand a chance against you?" Ichigo's comments caused Kazuya to express anger for the first time.

"Why are you still fighting Kurosaki Ichigo? What are you fighting for? Are you simply fighting because of your duty as a member of the Gotei 13? That is a pointless reason! You're nothing but a simple minded soldier, an eagle without wings! You don't have fight for the higher goal that I have! I have devoted myself to helping Aizen Taicho achieve his goals of revolutionizing Soul Society! It is the motivation that has allowed me to endure years of incarceration! What do you have Kurosaki Ichigo? You have nothing!"

"I have a desire to win against every opponent I fight. That is good enough for me," Ichigo responded. He was too tired to think of a better response.

"That isn't a good enough reason, Kurosaki Ichigo," said Kazuya. "You don't deserve to live a minute longer." In a single flash step he grabbed his double-bladed staff and reappeared behind Ichigo before the latter could even sense him. Then, before Ichigo could escape, Kazuya stabbed one of the blades of his staff right through Ichigo's back, piercing his stomach and going right through to the other side. Ichigo spewed a glob of blood from his mouth. When Kazuya withdrew his blade, a huge amount of blood burst out from the gaping hole in Ichigo's midriff. Ichigo dropped his sword and fell forward onto his front.

"Fukutaicho!" shouted several of the division members who had watched the gruesome scene. They all unsheathed their swords. Kazuya glared at them all with murderous eyes.

"You all want to avenge your fallen comrade?" he asked. "Fine then, I'll gladly send all of you to join your lieutenant in death."

What Kazuya wasn't aware of was that Ichigo was far from dead. In fact, he was still conscious though unable to get up due to the gaping hole in his torso. _Shit, he's going to kill my comrades_, thought Ichigo. _I've got to get up! I've got to summon the strength to fight him again and win! _With no outsiders likely to come to his aid, Ichigo knew there was only one person he could turn to. _Zangetsu-ossan, give me your power_.

Almost right on cue, the spirit of Ichigo's Zanpakuto, Zangetsu himself, materialized in front of his master. Ichigo was glad to see him again. The lack of any response from Kazuya meant that Zangetsu was only visible to Ichigo alone.

"I heard your call, Ichigo," said Zangetsu. "I know what you desire. You desire for more strength don't you? You want to get up and fight again, to have a chance at winning." Ichigo was too injured to speak, but he nodded his head.

"Very well then, I shall give you my power. It is time for our spirits to synchronize with each other and for my power to become your power. As long as you accept me with an open heart, all of my power will flow into you." Zangetsu placed his hand on Ichigo's head. In that instant all of Zangetsu's spirit energy flowed into Ichigo's body. Ichigo embraced every ounce of his Zanpakuto's power, and reveled in the sensation, for he felt that the vast spirit energies he formerly had were now returning to him.

Ichigo's sudden burst of power was felt by Kazuya, who had been on the verge of killing one of the 5th division members. Kazuya was shocked that Ichigo was still alive, let alone rapidly increasing his power.

"What is this spiritual pressure? It's as great as a captain's! How did he suddenly become so strong?" asked Kazuya. Unable to move an inch, Kazuya could only watch in astonishment as Ichigo rose to his feet again. Kazuya gasped as he saw the wound in Ichigo's torso close up. Ichigo turned around to face Kazuya, his eyes glowing a bright blue in colour.

"You asked why I was still fighting you, Kazuya," said Ichigo. "I'll you why. I fight to protect the lives of my love ones, my friends, and all of the people who live in Soul Society. I fight to defend them all against those who wish to harm them. I too, have a goal of trying to make Soul Society a better place. I might be an eagle without wings, but it is better than being a blind bat who can't even see for himself."

"Why you!" shouted Kazuya. He was about to attack Ichigo again but he flinched when he saw Ichigo raise _Zangetsu_ above his head.

"_Getsuga Tensho_," said Ichigo, as he swung his blade down. The giant crescent blue energy blast smashed into Kazuya and instantly sliced off his left arm at the shoulder joint, before destroying a six foot wide section of the barracks' outer wall.

"Shit, shit, shit!" swore Kazuya as he fell onto his knees. A torrent of flood flowed from his wound, as a part of his left shoulder joint was exposed. He glared at Ichigo with bloodshot eyes.

"I'm going to kill you, Kurosaki!" shouted Kazuya. He jumped into the air and held his staff above his head. He was about to say something when someone grabbed him by his right arm. Kazuya's eyes widened when he saw who it was.

"Aizen…Taicho?" asked Kazuya.

"It's that woman I saw when I defeated Saiga!" exclaimed Ichigo. He wondered why Kazuya thought she was Aizen but then he realized he might have been under her hypnosis.

"We must leave, Kazuya-san," said the woman disguised as Aizen.

"But why Aizen Taicho! I was about to kill you as you instructed!"

"The circumstances have changed. We've achieved our main objective, but nearly all of the rank and file prisoners have been captured or killed. Any minute now Captain Hirako will return you. You don't stand a chance against him. We shall retreat and fight again another day." Kazuya hated the prospect of abandoning his fight, but he had little choice but to listen to his master. He turned around and flash stepped away. The strange woman was about to follow him when Ichigo stopped her.

"Wait a minute! Who the hell are you?" asked Ichigo. "That Kazuya guy must be under hypnosis to think that you're Aizen. Does that mean you're related to Aizen in some way?"

"Oh ho, you sure are sharp, Kurosaki Ichigo," said the woman. "But it is too soon to reveal my identity yet. There will be a time and place for that. For now, I will just say that I am extremely pleased with your growth, and your performance against my third seat. Keep the progress up. You are a valuable asset to me." The woman gave him a wink before disappearing before Ichigo's eyes. Ichigo was left demoralized and confused. That woman had robbed him of a chance to end his fight with Kazuya and had left him with a whole series of questions in his head. _Damn that woman! I'll find out her true nature one day!_

"Are you okay Fukutaicho?" asked one of the 5th division members. "You look like you're badly hurt."

"I'm alright. The wounds I've suffered aren't life threatening," said Ichigo. He resealed his Zanpakuto and placed it in his scabbard. "I just need to get some rest."

"Man, our entire barracks is a mess," said another division member. "Hirako Taicho is going to be pissed when he gets back."

"Yeah you can say that again," said a third division member. Ichigo couldn't help but smile as his comrades helped him to his residential quarters.

The sun had set on one of the longest days in Soul Society's history.

* * *

Notes: The Uprising in Soul Society has been suppressed but this Arc is far from over, now that both Hisagi and Matsumoto have been abducted.

Both Rukia and Ichigo have acquired and ability to materialize their Zanpakuto, which hints at the development that will occur in the next chapter.

For Nejibana, I had to expand on his moveset abit as Kubo never really expanded upon his ability when he was wielded by Aaroniero. His special move, _Mai no Umishin, _means "Dance of the Sea God/Spirit".


	30. Chapter 30: Searching for Answers

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 30 Searching for Answers

"Man, what a long day it has been," said Hitsugaya Toshiro as he stumbled back to the tenth division barracks. After helping Sui Feng in her fight, Hitsugaya had proceeded to round up several escaped prisoners before being ordered by Shunsui to help carry the injured and the dead to the fourth division infirmary. The process had taken hours and Hitsugaya was glad when it was finished.

As Hitsugaya walked through the front gates of his barracks he felt something was off with the vibe of the place, as if something had happened whilst he had been out. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw a number of 10th division members running around frantically. When they saw Hitsugaya they all rushed towards him.

"Hitsugaya Taicho!" shouted one of the division members.

"What is the matter? You all seem to be disturbed," said Hitsugaya.

"It's terrible! Matsumoto Fukutaicho has been abducted!" exclaimed a female member.

"What?" asked Hitsugaya in dismay. Without hesitation he ran as fast as he could to the captain's office. When he slammed open the front door he froze in shock at the horrible sight in front of him. The entire window of his office had been smashed open and there was a pool of semi-dried blood near the wall next to the doorway. But what really got to Hitsugaya was the terrible sight of Hinamori, hunched over on her knees, wailing and sobbing.

"What is wrong Momo-chan?" asked Hitsugaya as he helped her stand up. He noticed that Hinamori's right shoulder was covered with bandages.

"Oh Shiro-chan, someone's taken Rangiku-san!" cried Hinamori.

"Who? Can you tell me his name? Or what he looked like?"

"I don't know who he was, but he looked a lot like Captain Ichimaru."

The mention of Gin's name struck at Hitsugaya's heart like a dreaded spear. _No way! Gin couldn't have come back from the dead!_ _Something's not right here. _

"Momo-chan, are you alright if you stay here?" asked Hitsugaya. "I need to report this matter to the Sotaicho. I'll request him to send out a search party to look for Matsumoto at once."

"Alright, Shiro-chan," said Hinamori. "Just be sure to come back." With that, Hitsugaya left the office and headed for the 1st division barracks.

* * *

At the same moment, inside the Captain Commander's office, Shunsui, Ukitake and Shinji, three of the Gotei 13's most senior captains, were engaging in a series of intense briefing sessions.

"I see, so all but three of the escaped prisoners from the Underground Holding Cell have been accounted for," said Shunsui.

"Looks like we prevented this uprising from getting out of control," said Ukitake.

"True, but I am still worried about those three that are still unaccounted for. I believe all three are former fifth division officers who possess Zanpakuto," said Shinji. "Plus, nobody has spotted the three unidentified intruders, let alone managed to track them down."

"I agree. Those intruders are definitely the ones we need to catch," said Shunsui. "I have a feeling they may have also been the perpetuators behind the incident at the Research and Development Institute, judging from the early reports sent to me by Urahara."

"I am also worried about the mysterious figure that attacked my division's barracks and injured my lieutenant," said Ukitake. "Kuchiki Rukia said the person who attacked her was not an escapee from the Underground Holding Cell, but someone similar to the three intruders."

"Are you sure about that?" asked Shunsui. "If that is the case, then we have four unidentified individuals of substantial power still on the loose, along with three unaccounted for prisoners."

"Should we send out search parties to find them?" asked Shinji. "We're going to need to deploy significant forces if we do."

"Several of the divisions have already been badly mauled by the uprising," said Ukitake. "The 12th division has been all but annihilated, more than half of my division is in the infirmary with the barracks still completely flooded, the 11th and 6th division captains almost fought each other to the death, and Sui Feng is in no shape to take charge of the Executive Militia."

"My division has been pretty battered too," said Shinji. "I've only got at most fifty soldiers that are still combat ready."

"Oh boy, this is indeed a bothersome situation," said Shunsui. "I wish old man Yama were still here. He'd probably figure out a way to resolve this mess."

"Actually, I think contacting Yamaji might be a good idea," said Ukitake. "There may be more to this uprising than meets the eye. If those intruders had wanted to overthrow the Gotei 13, they would have armed the prisoners with a much better arsenal of weapons."

"Yeah, all of the events of the past few days seem suspicious," said Shinji. "The intruders must have some other ulterior goal in mind."

At this moment the door of the office burst open and the captains Hitsugaya and Komamura rushed inside.

"Oh, Toshiro-kun, Sajin-san, what are you two doing here?" asked Shunsui. "You both look exhausted."

"Kyoraku-san, I request you to send out a search party," said Hitsugaya. "Somebody has kidnapped Matsumoto. Someone who looks like Gin."

"I also request to lead a search party, Sotaicho," said Komamura. "My squad and Kensei's squad were ambushed by someone using Tousen's Bankai, and in the process Hisagi was abducted." Hitsugaya and Komamura's news almost rocked the socks off Shunsui, Ukitake and Shinji. The three senior captains were aghast at both reports, and had to take nearly a minute to take stock of the situation.

"What do you think Hirako-san?" asked Shunsui. "Hitsugaya and Komamura's descriptions of the abductors match the descriptions of two of the intruders who broke into the Underground Holding Cell from Sui Feng's earlier report."

"I agree, they sound exactly like them," said Shinji. "And if my hunch is correct, the two of them must be the henchmen of the woman who according to Kurosaki's report today hypnotized all of the prison escapees into thinking she was Aizen."

"To hypnotize that many individuals without any of them seeing through it...that sounds a lot like Aizen's Zanpakuto," said Ukitake. "I definitely recommend sending out one search party to locate the lair of these individuals and find out who they are."

"Alright, I accept your advice," said Shunsui. He turned to a still panting Hitsugaya and Komamura. "Hitsugaya, Komamura, I give you permission to form a search party to locate lieutenants Hisagi and Matsumoto. Bring only a small group of Shinigami with you and leave your highest ranking officer in charge of your division barracks. You may also request Urahara for any equipment that might assist in your search."

"Thank you, Kyoraku-san," said Hitsugaya and Komamura. The two captains left the office. When they left, Shunsui, Ukitake and Shinji decided it was almost time for their briefing session to end.

"Well, it seems like the situation has gotten even worse than we expected," said Ukitake.

"Kyoraku-san, I offer to lead a party to locate Yamamoto and bring him back to Seireitei," said Shinji. Shunsui considered Shinji's offer for a moment. With Hitsugaya and Komamura embarking on a search and rescue mission, Byakuya, Kenpachi and Sui Feng out of commission, and Urahara still conducting an investigation into the destruction of the R & D institute, he was running of out captains to guard Seireitei. After a minute's consideration, he made up his mind.

"Well, I think the threat to Seireitei at the moment has subsided," said Shunsui. "And I do agree that that the time is ripe to mount a counterattack. But I can't afford to send out a large group on this mission. You can take at most seven other people with you."

"Seven other people is more than enough," said Shinji. "I'll only need a small group to find Yamamoto."

"Phew, I hope that's the last of the issues we need to deal with for now," said Shunsui. "I really need to have a rest."

"I think we all do. This day has been extremely long indeed," said Ukitake.

* * *

For most Seireitei, the night passed by relatively uneventfully after a traumatic day. As the morning came, the Gotei 13 counted the cost of the Great Uprising. A group of nearly a hundred and fifty prisoners from the Maggot's Nest had succeeded in causing more than two hundred casualties, including the high profile casualties of Byakuya and Kenpachi. Furthermore, word of the abductions of Matsumoto and Hisagi quickly spread to the other divisions, driving nearly all of their comrades into a state of despair.

The only division that had survived the uprising completely unscathed, the fourth division, was now struggling to cope with a huge amount of patients, both injured Gotei 13 members and captured prisoners. Most of the patients were stationed in the general infirmary room, but the more high-ranking officers who had been injured were given their private recovery rooms. In one of these recovery rooms, two lieutenants lay side by side on individual beds.

Ichigo slowly opened his eyes, and squinted as the morning sun filtered through the window blinds. The wounds he had received the previous day's battle had healed, but the pain still remained. Ichigo glanced over at the bed beside him, where a welcome face was also awake.

"How do you feel Rukia?" asked Ichigo.

"I'm alright. My stomach still hurts but I think I'll make a recovery by the end of today," said Rukia. "What about you?"

"The same," said Ichigo. He and Rukia stopped talking for a while and simply lay on their backs staring at the ceiling. A few minutes later they heard footsteps coming towards them. Ichigo and Rukia looked up and saw Shinji and Ukitake enter.

"Yo Ichigo! How are you feeling?"asked Shinji.

"Alright I guess," said Ichigo.

"Are you getting better Kuchiki?" asked Ukitake.

"My body still hurts but my wounds have closed," said Rukia.

"Did you two come to visit us?" asked Ichigo. Shinji and Ukitake nodded.

"Apart from visiting you, we also here to update you on the events that have occurred while the two of you were recuperating," said Ukitake. He looked at Shinji.

"Kyoraku-san has assigned me as leader of a search party that will scour the Rukongai districts for former Captain Commander Yamamoto," said Shinji.

"You're going to search for the old man? Why?" asked Ichigo.

"It's because there may have been more to the plans of those three intruders than simply instigating an uprising of prisoners," said Ukitake. "At this point, with so many of our captains incapacitated, we need the former Captain Commander's leadership more than ever."

"The search won't take long. I suspect we'll be able to find the Captain Commander within five days," said Shinji.

"But what about the fifth division? If you're going away for so long then I need to be discharged from hospital right now," said Ichigo.

"Don't worry about it Ichigo. The remaining members at the barracks should be able to manage the division. Your main priority now is to fully recover your strength. A half-fit soldier is no use on the battlefield."

"The same goes for you Kuchiki. I've requested Captain Unohana to not discharge you until you are fully healed," said Ukitake.

"But with our barracks in such a state, don't you need my help to repair it?" asked Rukia.

"We can rebuild the barracks after this crisis is over Kuchiki. Besides, I've been able to cope with not having a lieutenant." Ukitake's smile put Rukia at ease. She and Ichigo watched as Shinji and Ukitake left their recovery room, closing the door behind them.

For a while, neither Ichigo nor Rukia spoke. As they stared at the ceiling again, a thought appeared in Ichigo's head. _There must be a hidden message in Hirako-san's words. Is he telling me I'm no use to him unless I get stronger? _Ichigo recalled his battle with Kazuya, and how he had barely escaped death thanks to the appearance of his Zanpakuto spirit. He knew what Shinji was telling him; unless he got stronger he would simply become a liability in a battle. _I have five days to increase my strength_, thought Ichigo. _There's only way to do so_. Ichigo glanced at Rukia, at the exact same moment she glanced at him.

"Ichigo, are you thinking what I am thinking?" asked Rukia.

"Yeah. Once we're discharged, let's train to awaken our Bankais," said Ichigo. Rukia smiled at him in agreement.

* * *

"I want to come with you Shiro-chan!" cried Hinamori, after her captain Hitsugaya informed her that she would be taking no part in the search and rescue mission for Matsumoto and Hisagi.

"No Hinamori, it's far too dangerous for you to accompany me," said Hitsugaya. "We don't know the strength of the enemies we might bump into. I can't risk your safety by bringing you alone. You'll be much safer staying and guarding the division. Seireitei's unlikely to be attacked again for a quite a while."

"I understand Shiro-chan. I'll follow your orders," said Hinamori as she stopped crying. "Just promise me that you'll come back safe and sound, and with Rangiku-san."

"Of course I will Hinamori. You can always count on me," said Hitsugaya. He gave Hinamori a warm hug before he departed the tenth division barracks. Once he was outside the barracks he Shunpo-ed across the rooftops until he reached the open area in front of the Northern Black Ridge Gate. As Hitsugaya landed on the ground, he could see several figures had already arrived at the gate before him.

"You're late, Captain Hitsugaya," said Komamura.

"Sorry, I had to persuade my third seat not to come with me," said Hitsugaya.

"Ah yes, Hinamori-chan," said the lieutenant of the 3rd division, Kira Izuru. "It must be have been difficult to prevent her from coming with you."

"Is everyone ready?" asked Hitsugaya. Komamura, Kira, and lieutenant Iba Tetsuzaemon all nodded. With that, the party of four opened a small door to the side of the Black Ridge Gate and walked through it, exiting the walls of Seireitei. Then, like hunters pursuing prey in the shadows, they flash stepped away.

At the same moment, a group of eight figures were gathering at the Eastern Blue Stream Gate. Four of them were dressed in black Shihakusho, while the other four wore white haoris over their black Shihakushos. The leader of the eight figures was a man with long and straight blonde hair and a bowl-cut fringe.

"You know, I didn't expect all of you guys to come with me," said Shinji. "I could have done this by myself."

"Yeah right baldy! You never get things done without us to clean up after you!" shouted Hiyori.

"We've been working together for so many years," said the third division captain Otoribashi 'Rose' Rojuro. "Do you really think we'd refuse to come?"

"We'd join you even if Kyoraku-san did not give you permission to take anyone along," said the acting eighth division captain Aikawa Love.

"It sure beats staying in those barracks with nothing do after all," said Love's lieutenant, Yadomaru Lisa.

"Mashiro and I have our own reasons for coming with you," said the ninth division captain Muguruma Kensei. "We might be able to track down my missing lieutenant Hisagi."

"That's right Kensei!" exclaimed the ninth division's third seat Mashiro Kuna.

"We're all in this together, Hirako-san," said the Kido Corps lieutenant Ushoda Hachigen. Having heard the voices of his nakama, Shinji knew he couldn't rebuff them.

"Alright, you can all come with me. Just don't whine about this mission being boring," said Shinji. "We might not be able to even find Yamamoto-san."

With that, the eight Shinigami, the former Visoreds of the real world, exited the Blue Stream Gate and flash stepped into the distance.

* * *

Matsumoto opened her eyes. She saw nothing but darkness all around her. It was only after her eyes had adjusted to the conditions that she saw she was in a cell, or a room of some sorts. She was lying on what appeared to be a bed.

"Where am I?" she asked. It took her a while to notice that her hands and legs weren't bound to the bed. Matsumoto got up from the bed and looked around. The room she was in was quite small, with walls no longer than three metres across. She walked up to the door and saw that it was locked from the outside, with no possible way of opening it. She tried to give the door a violent shake but she soon gave up when the door did not budge an inch.

"Damn it!" she swore as she sat down on the bed. A moment later she heard footsteps coming towards the door. She hoped that it was someone coming to rescue her.

"Hello! Anyone there?" shouted Matsumoto. The footsteps were getting nearer, until Matsumoto sensed they were in front of the door. After a moment's silence Matsumoto heard a lock being opened on the other side. Then the door swung outwards. A man stepped inside. Matsumoto gasped, for it was the exact same man who had broken into the tenth division barracks, knocked her out and apparently abducted her. Furthermore, simply looking at the man's face caused cramps in Matsumoto's heart, for his appearance continuously reminded her of the love she had lost forever.

"You!" shouted Matsumoto. "Who the hell are you? Why did you kidnap me?" Before Matsumoto could speak anymore, the man placed his hand over her mouth.

"Quiet, Rangiku," said the man. "I don't want to cause a disturbance that would alert the others. Just be patient. I'll tell you everything right now." Matsumoto nodded, and when the man uncovered her mouth she remained silent.

"Alright, I'll spill the beans for ya, even though the Queen bitch had told me to keep silent," said the man. "As you might have guessed, I am related to Ichimaru-san. I am his Zanpakuto, Shinso."

"Shinso?" asked Matsumoto. "You materialized yourself? But now? Gin's been dead for years. You couldn't have possibly survived without your master."

"That may have been true, but I'll let you in on a little secret." Shinso moved his mouth close to Matsumoto's ear. "The reason I've been materialized is due to the power of Aizen's Zanpakuto, Kyoka Suigetsu. She is the one responsible for the uprising."

"Aizen's Zanpakuto is the mastermind?"

"There is one other secret I want to reveal to you," said Shinso. He pulled out a scroll from his kosode and gave it to Matsumoto. "This is a message that my master had planned to give you prior to his death. If you read this, you'll understand the motives behind his actions."

"This is…Gin's last message for me?" asked Matsumoto. She was about to open it, but Shinso stopped her.

"Now is not the time to open it. I need you to do me a favour first. Can you please drink this?" Shinso gave Matsumoto a small cup filled with what looked like wine. Without even asking about what it contained Matsumoto drank it. Within seconds, a powerful chemical oxidant reached her brain and took control of her mind, causing her to become nothing more than an obedient slave. A grin emerged on Shinso's face.

* * *

A while later, the Zanpakuto Shinso emerged from a corridor into a more open cavern that was lit by a glowing white orb dangling from the roof. At the front of the cavern was a rock formation that resembled a throne of sorts. Sitting on the throne was a woman with lavish black hair, lipstick and mascara on her face and dressed in an exquisite red kimono with white lily patterns. She was also holding a mirror in her right hand. The woman looked up as Shinso walked towards her.

"How was it?" asked the Zanpakuto Kyoka Suigetsu.

"It was an easy success," said Shinso. "She completely fell for the 'secret's I told her. I've given her the mind control serum."

"Well, you've at least done better than Suzumushi. He still hasn't been able to compel Hisagi Shuhei to drink the serum."

"That's a surprise. Although I guess Shuhei-san wasn't as infatuated with Tousen as Rangiku-san was with my master," said Shinso.

"It is no matter. The two lieutenants we've captured are merely bait to draw out the real prize. With so many of Gotei 13's captains deployed on a fruitless search for us, Soul Society is ripe for another sneak attack."

"Who are we going to target then, Suigetsu-san?" asked Shinso. Kyoka Suigetsu got up and whispered something into Shinso's ear. Shinso immediately started chuckling.

"Oh my, you are a cruel, cruel mistress, Suigetsu-san. Do you really have to go that far?"

"The end always justifies the means, Shinso. Remember that," said Kyoka Suigetsu.

* * *

Notes: This chapter is a breather of sorts after successive battle chapters. It also sets up the next set of events in this story arc. As a few readers, such as Illidan noted, Ichigo and Rukia are going to be training for Bankai. And Hitsugaya and Komamura have set off to search for Matsumoto and Hisagi.

The interplay between Shinso and Matsumoto is something I plan on developing, in order to give a sense of closure to the Gin/Ran relationship. I always thought Kubo didn't give Gin a satisfactory ending before he killed him, and sort of hushed over Matsumoto's feelings for him.


	31. Chapter 31: To Strenghten the Heart

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 31 To Strengthen the Heart

Ichigo and Rukia were discharged from the fourth division's infirmary the next day, having fully recovered their strength. The two of them went back to their respective division barracks. After seeing that their comrades were able to manage their divisions without their help in the short term, Ichigo and Rukia finally made up their minds to go to a private place and train. Upon leaving the fifth division barracks, Ichigo sent Rukia a message on her soul messenger, informing her of the perfect place to train in private. Rukia didn't quite get Ichigo's directions but she followed them regardless.

About an hour after Ichigo sent the message the two of them arrived at the base of the Sokyoku Hill.

"Uh Ichigo, why are we here?" asked Rukia.

"Just follow me Rukia," said Ichigo. He led Rukia around the Sokyoku Hill until he spotted a ledge halfway up on the hill's eastern edge. He then flash stepped onto the ledge and waited for Rukia to follow him.

"Look Rukia," said Ichigo. He pointed to a door made out of wood that looked totally out of place to the surrounding cliff walls. Rukia watched as Ichigo opened the door, revealing a spacious roof that had been dug into the cliff face itself.

"My god, I never knew such a place existed," said Rukia.

"Yoruichi-san brought me here after my fight against Kenpachi, and after I made the first attempt to rescue you from the Senzaikyu tower," said Ichigo. Other than Urahara, the only other person who knows about this place is Renji."

"Are we going to train in this place? It seems a bit...small."

"Don't come to a premature conclusion Rukia. This room is but a prelude to the real secret place." Rukia watched as Ichigo started blowing away the dust on the ground, revealing a trapdoor that was painted to look like the surrounding cave floor. Ichigo lifted up the trapdoor and proceeded to jump down the hole. Rukia gasped for a second, thinking that Ichigo had fallen to his death. She then heard a sound coming from below.

"Hey Rukia, down here!" shouted Ichigo. Rukia looked down the trapdoor and saw Ichigo standing at the base of a ladder about thirty metres down.

"Alright, I'll come down, but I'm taking the stairs," said Rukia. With great care not to fall, she lifted herself onto the ladder and started descending it. It took her about two minutes to get to the bottom of the ladder. When she did, she landed on the ground. As Rukia turned her head, she gasped in awe at what she saw. All around her was a vast underground chamber, stretching potentially hundreds of metres across, although she couldn't see the other side because of the numerous rock formations obscuring her view. She glanced up and saw the roof of the chamber, which was completely smooth, as if someone had chipped away all off the excess rock.

"My goodness, I didn't know such a place existed," said Rukia. "Who built this place? It must have taken a great deal of engineering work to cave such a vast chamber into the very base of the Sokyoku Hill."

"This underground training room was built by Urahara-san. He and Yoruichi-san used it to train here when they were young. There's actually a similar looking secret training ground under the Urahara Shoten," said Ichigo.

"So it's all the work of Urahara huh? No wonder no one else has discovered this place. It's absolutely perfect for our training."

"Of course it is. This is the place where I managed to acquire my Bankai in two days."

"You gained Bankai in two days?" asked Rukia. "How?"

"With a special tool made by Urahara," said Ichigo. "I think it was called the _Tenshintai_. Urahara made it so that Zanpakuto could be forcibly materialized. He tested it on himself by learning Bankai in three days. I managed to beat him by learning Bankai in two days."

"Why didn't you go and ask Urahara-san and Yoruichi-san for it?"

"I don't think they have it with them anymore. Besides, there were some distinctive weaknesses with the _Tenshintai_ that made it unsuitable for anyone except Urahara and myself."

"Alright then, we'll have to it the old fashioned way. We've got five days to train anyway, so I don't think there is much of a rush for us to achieve Bankai in a hurry," said Rukia.

The two of them agreed to train separately, as subduing their Zanpakuto spirits required a solo effort on both of their parts. They each chose an area of the training room that was far enough from the other area that neither of them would end up bumping into each other during the training.

As Ichigo landed in a section of the training room filled with numerous large boulders, he unsheathed his Zanpakuto and called to it. A few moments later the spirit of Zangetsu materialized in front of Ichigo.

"Did you call me again Ichigo?" asked Zangetsu.

"I did old man. You probably know why," said Ichigo. Zangetsu nodded.

"It is time for you to regain your Bankai. The fact that you were able to consciously summon me outside of your body shows that you are ready to achieve it again."

"Do I have to go through the same process as last time?" asked Ichigo.

"No Ichigo. The training you went through the first time you tried to learn Bankai was a result of the artificial doll's time limit. I had to force you to acquire Bankai in a short time, without giving your soul and opportunity to get used to its sheer power. As a result you only acquired an incomplete Bankai that your body could never fully handle and could never gain mastery of until your experience in the Dangai. This time we're going to be doing something different."

After he finished his speech, Zangetsu surprised Ichigo by underground a drastic transformation. A black cloud of reiatsu engulfed the Zanpakuto's body for a brief moment. He emerged from the cloud looking similar to his previous appearance but with several obvious differences. The first was that he was now much younger looking in appearance, resembling a teenager of sorts, and the second was the hood that dangled from his black coat.

"Do you recognise this appearance?" asked the new look Zangetsu, with a much lighter and less masculine accent. Ichigo nodded.

"It's the same form you assumed when you and my inner hollow merged into a single being during my Dangai training," said Ichigo.

"Yes, this is my true self. My normally older appearance is just a guise to hide my true power." Ichigo watched as the younger looking Zangetsu summoned a wicked looking black nodachi in his right hand. It looked similar to his original Bankai sword, except for the fact that the manji-shaped cross guard was much bigger, with the four prongs more open. Furthermore, the broken chain that hung from the pommel of the sword was a lot longer, being at least two feet in length.

"The training this time is going to be different, Ichigo," said Zangetsu. "It's just going to be you and me in an all out battle. If you can impale me with your Shikai then all of my power will be transferred to you."

"Sounds good. It's much simpler than having to find the perfect sword to cut you down," said Ichigo with a grin. With a thought Ichigo turned his sword into its Shikai form and held it with both hands.

"Let's go, Ichigo," said Zangetsu. He flew towards Ichigo and the two of them began their clash.

At the exact moment on the opposite end of the underground training hall, Rukia began her Bankai training. She picked a relatively open and flat area before unsheathing her sword. _Come to me Sode no Shirayuki_, said Rukia in her mind. A moment later the spirit of her Zanpakuto materialized in front of Rukia as a being of snow and ice. Sode no Shirayuki was resplendent in her white kimono and her sparkling pale blue hair.

"Are you ready to begin, Rukia?" asked Sode no Shirayuki.

"I am," said Rukia. "The last six years of practice have all been for this moment."

"Then let us commence the training." Sode no Shirayuki extended her arms into the air and began to sing. Her song caused a strong wind full of snow to cover the entire area. Then from the snow that landed on the ground emerged countless figures made of snow. They solidified and took the appearance of Sode no Shirayuki. Soon there were nearly a hundred of these snow and ice clones of Rukia Zanpakuto.

Sode no Shirayuki finished her song. She and the other clones of her stared at Rukia.

"In order to attain Bankai, you must cut each and every single one of my clones down, and then slice in half," said Sode no Shirayuki.

"Isn't that a bit too much? I don't really want to hurt you," said Rukia.

"Drop that attitude Rukia!" scolded Sode no Shirayuki. "Do you really want to achieve Bankai? If so, you must abandon all of your emotional sympathy towards me. You must be as ruthless towards me as you might be towards an enemy you hate. If you cannot raise your blade against me then you have no hope at all of defeating the Zanpakuto of your former mentor. Emotions and affections should have no place in your heart Rukia!"

_She's right_, thought Rukia. _I was…too hesitant in my battle with Nejibana_. _And it's true that I've let my feelings for others affect my performance in battle far too often. If I am to achieve Bankai, I must bend my Zanpakuto to my will_!

"Alright then, prepare yourself, Sode no Shirayuki," said Rukia. She transformed her Zanpakuto into its Shikai state and held it with both her hands. The Shirayuki clones all summoned copies of Rukia's Shikai sword into their hands, before charging at her en masse.

Throughout the course of the day Ichigo and Rukia battled with their Zanpakuto, getting some brief moments of successes, but sustaining serious wounds as they did so. As the sun set outside, the two of them had almost exhausted their spirit energy reserves. It was this point that their Zanpakuto spirits suddenly disappeared. Rukia wandered what was going on but Ichigo knew full well what had happened. As the Zanpakuto spirit depended on its master's reiatsu in order to survive materialized, it would fade if it's master's reiatsu faded.

"I guess that is enough for today," said Ichigo. He was bleeding all over from cuts to his arms, legs, torso and head. Instead of meeting up with Rukia, Ichigo decided to head for the underground training room's greatest secret, a large underground hot spring. The spring was built around a huge rock pillar that went all the way to the roof of the chamber. Wrapped around the pillar was a drain that constantly fed hot water to the spring. As Ichigo arrived at the stream he hastily stripped off his clothes and jumped in. The sensation of the spring's water was exhilarating. Furthermore, Ichigo felt the wounds on his body disappear, due to some unique property of the spring's water.

"Ichigo, where are you?" Ichigo heard Rukia's voice nearby.

"I'm over here Rukia!" called Ichigo. A moment later Rukia wandered by the hot spring, glancing in awe at the large rock pillar. When she saw Ichigo submerged in the hot spring and then Ichigo's clothes lying on the ground, Rukia's face turned a bright red.

"Why do you have that face Rukia? The hot spring is really good. You should hop in," said Ichigo.

"You want me to enter that hot spring with you?" asked Rukia. She blushed even further in embarrassment. "Isn't there another place I can wash myself?"

"This is the only source of water in this underground chamber," said Ichigo. "Besides, this water haw something that can treat the injuries you've suffered."

"Um, okay, but just wait a second," said Rukia. Ichigo watched with curiosity as Rukia rushed behind the underground pillar. A minute later Rukia emerged from the pillar again with all of her clothes gone except for a single white cloth that she awkwardly wrapped around her torso. Ichigo found the whole sight slightly amusing.

"Did you go behind the pillar to take off your clothes?" asked Ichigo. "That's a far cry from my experience with Yoruichi-san. She stripped stark naked right in front of me."

"Shut up! I'm not as outgoing as Yoruichi-san!" shouted Rukia with embarrassment. She tentatively touched the spring's water with her clothes. When she felt that the water was alright, she sat down beside the spring's edge.

"Why don't you just take off that cloth and slide in Rukia?" asked Ichigo.

"Because I don't want you to see my body!" shouted Rukia.

"Heh, heh, I can't believe you're a bigger prude than I am," said Ichigo. He started whistling as Rukia struggled on how she was going to get into the spring. _If I enter the water with this cloth on, my Shihakusho is going to get wet, but if I take it off, Ichigo will see my breasts_, thought Rukia. When Ichigo turned his head to the side, Rukia finally made the decision to throw off her cloth and quickly slide into the water before Ichigo had a chance to see her.

"Oh, you finally decided to jump in," said Ichigo. Rukia shot Ichigo a mean look. It took her a few seconds to realize the cuts on her body had healed.

"My injuries have healed," said Rukia in amazement. She splashed some water on her face and felt the cut on her right cheek disappear.

"Yoruichi-san said that this water has some unique medicinal qualities," said Ichigo.

"To think there'd be a hot spring in a place like this, Urahara-san must have been a genius," said Rukia.

"And a little perverted. I bet he and Yoruichi-san used this spring all the time," said Ichigo. Rukia's face blushed again as soon as she heard Ichigo's words. The idea of exposing her body to someone else was embarrassing enough, but Rukia was also struggling not to get attracted to Ichigo's surprisingly muscular physique. Ichigo noticed that Rukia was making a tentative glance at him.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" asked Ichigo.

"Huh? I'm not staring at you," said Rukia.

"Don't lie, I saw you turn your eyes at me. Are you that attracted my body?" asked Ichigo in a rather suave voice that made Rukia even more embarrassed.

"What the hell are you implying Ichigo? I'm not even attracted to you one bit!" shouted Rukia.

"Oh really? Then what about this?" Ichigo decided to move closer to Rukia. When Rukia realized what he was doing, she freaked out and started splashing water at Rukia.

"Get away from me you perv!"

"You're calling me a perv? You were glancing at my boy chest weren't you Rukia?" Ichigo's words were met with a further splash by Rukia. He responded by splashing her back. The two of them quickly started a splashing war against each other.

As this was all going on, two ghostly figures watched them going at it from a distance and hovering in the air.

"They're getting along nicely," said Zangetsu with a smile.

"Indeed," said Sode no Shirayuki. "I am glad that we secretly influenced them to come here together." Zangetsu grinned.

"Do you think they know how closely they're attracted to each other?"

"Tee hee, I think in their hearts they know full well the extent of their affections, but both of them are just too stubborn and hardheaded to admit it." The two Zanpakuto spirits grinned at each other. The two of them had already established an intimate relationship. They both knew it was only a matter of time before their masters went the same way.

* * *

Ichigo and Rukia continued to train with their Zanpakuto throughout the next few days, as the rest of Seireitei was recovering from the damage inflicted by the uprising. With so many captains and lieutenants having left on missions, the majority of the Gotei 13 divisions were relatively quiet. Three of the remaining active captains, the acting Captain Commander Kyoraku, the 13th division captain Ukitake and the 4th division captain Unohana spent most of their time in crisis talks in the first division barracks. The 12th division captain was still immersed in his investigation into the destruction of the Research and Development Institute.

In another part of Seireitei, a woman with her hair pulled back into a bun sat on a porch gazing at the full moon.

"It's so boring without Shiro-chan and Rangiku-san," said Hinamori Momo. She had been left in charge of the division by her captain Hitsugaya, but with the division having survived mostly unscathed from the uprising, there were enough capable seated officers around to manage things without requiring much guidance from her. And so Hinamori spent the four days after Hitsugaya's departure moping around in the captain's office, doing what paperwork she could, but otherwise just gazing at the sky and hoping her captain would return.

It was Hinamori's longing for Hitsugaya that made her attuned to even the slightest set of footsteps coming towards the captain's office. As soon as she heard a set of feet nearing the front door of the office, Hinamori got up from the porch and rushed inside the office. She ran to the front door and opened it, fully expecting to see her captain and Matsumoto.

What Hinamori actually saw caused her entire body to freeze in complete shock. She staggered back, unable to contemplate what she was seeing. The person standing in front of the doorway was like a ghost from the past, someone who had seemed like an illusion.

"It can't be…" said Hinamori. "Aizen…Taicho?" The Aizen standing in front of her wasn't the one she saw during the Battle for Karakura Town, but the old captain Aizen, dressed in a captain's haori and wearing his trademark pair of glasses.

"How have you been Momo-chan?" asked Aizen.

"Is it really you, Aizen Taicho? But you look so different compared to the last time I saw you," said Hinamori.

"That other Aizen you saw was an imposter. I would never have hurt you Momo-chan."

"So the one who stabbed me and left me to die was an imposter then," said Hinamori. "Thank goodness. The real Aizen Taicho wouldn't have done so many evil things."

"Of course not, Momo-chan," said Aizen with a smile. "I am sorry for letting that imposter hurt you so badly. I am sorry for not coming for you sooner."

"It's alright. I am just glad that the real Aizen Taicho is back." Hinamori hugged the 'Captain Aizen' in front of her, seemingly abandoning the skepticism she had for him mere moments ago.

"I need you to do me a favour, Momo-chan," said Aizen.

"I'm willing to do anything for you Aizen Taicho," said Hinamori. Still infatuated with her former beloved captain having returned to her, Hinamori failed to see another person appear at the doorway.

The person unsheathed a sword from its scabbard and chanted "Abate, _Brujeria_." Before Hinamori realized what was going on, a black tattoo shaped like a sun appeared on her forehead. Hinamori's eyes went black as her mind was now completely under the other man's control. The 'Aizen' who had appeared before Hinamori was in fact a woman wearing a red kimono, who had cast a illusion making anyone who saw her think she was Aizen.

"Excellent word Agard," said Kyoka Suigetsu. "We have accomplished our objective. Let's go."

"Yes, Aizen Taicho," said the man called Agard. The two of them left the tenth division barracks with a mind controlled Hinamori following along.

* * *

Elsewhere, far from Seireitei, a group of Shinigami burst open the doors of a cell. To their massive disappointment, they found no one inside.

"Damn it, Matsumoto isn't here!" swore Hitsugaya.

"But one of our informants swore that she had been taken captive and placed in this cell," said Kira.

"Hisagi-san isn't here either," said Iba.

"Clearly, we were a step too late. Even if the intelligence we got was correct, our targets have already vacated this cave," said Komamura.

"What shall we do now Captain Hitsugaya?" asked Kira. Hitsugaya punched a wall in frustration.

"We have no choice but to return to Seireitei empty handed," said Hitsugaya. They must have known we were coming. We'll be able to track them down better if we returned to Seireitei and picked up a new trail from there."

With a deep cloud of despair hanging over their heads, the search party left the cavern and began the long trip back to Seireitei.

* * *

Notes: This chapter is very similar to the chapter in Bleach: After the War where Ichigo and Rukia also trained with their Zanpakuto, but with noticeable changes. The main one is changing the scene with Ichigo and Rukia in the hot spring from a romantic/sexual scene to a comedic one, as it is far too early in the story for any significant IchiRuki development yet. ^^

I am also anticipating comments about Hinamori falling for the 'Captain Aizen' deception and getting kidnapped. I know it makes her sound like an idiot, but it was necessary as a device to set up the next few chapters.


	32. Chapter 32: The Black Invasion

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 32 The Black Invasion

Hitsugaya's search and rescue team arrived at the Northern Black Ridge Gate less than half a day after leaving the abandoned cavern. They had flash stepped non-stop through the night, though due to the cave's relatively close proximity to Seireitei they had taken a much shorter time to get back than they expected. Hitsugaya, Komamura, Kira and Iba walked through a small door near the side of the Black Ridge Gate and entered Seireitei.

"We'd better return to our barracks," said Hitsugaya. "But if any of us find potential clues or leads, we should contact each other immediately." The other three nodded. The group dispersed as everyone headed towards their respective division barracks. Hitsugaya flash stepped across numerous roof tops and alleyways until he reached the front gates of the tenth division barracks. To his surprise, the gates opened with a slight push.

"That's odd, I distinctly remember telling Hinamori to lock the gates from the inside and to post two guards on duty," said Hitsugaya. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw numerous division members running around frantically. When the members saw Hitsugaya, they all rushed towards him.

"Hitsugaya Taicho!" they shouted.

"What's the matter? You all look extremely worried," said Hitsugaya.

"Third Seat Hinamori is missing! She wasn't in the captain's office when we went to see her in the morning!" shouted one division members.

"What?" Hitsugaya was devastated. Without a further word he rushed to the captain's office and slammed open the doors. He searched every nook and cranny of the office, to no avail.

"It can't be! Somebody abducted Hinamori?" asked Hitsugaya.

"It appears that way," said a division member.

"Did any of you see where she went, or who her kidnappers were?" The division members all shook their heads.

"She must have disappeared in the middle of the night, captain. We were probably all asleep," said another division member.

_Something isn't right_, thought Hitsugaya. _There's been no sign of a disturbance, let alone a break in entry. _He pondered the dilemma he was in for a moment.

"Alright, I want all of you to start a search through the entire barracks for any signs of a break-in. If we can even find a trace of evidence about the people who abducted Hinamori, we'll be able to track her kidnappers down."

"What about you Taicho?"

"I'm going to see the Captain Commander at once."

* * *

Half an hour later, Hitsugaya appeared at the first division barracks. When the guards at the front gates of the barracks saw him, they automatically let him inside. He ran to the Captain Commander's office, where he saw Kyoraku, Ukitake and Unohana sitting in chairs around a table. The three senior captains were surprised to see him,

"Oh you're back sooner than we expected, Hitsugaya-kun," said Shunsui.

"Is something wrong Toshiro? You're panting heavily," said Ukitake.

"Hinamori has been kidnapped," said Hitsugaya bluntly. The three senior captains were shocked to hear the news.

"When did it happen Captain Hitsugaya?" asked Unohana.

"Sometime last night, when all of my division members were asleep. I've ordered a thorough sweep of the barracks for any clues to the kidnappers' whereabouts, but so far I have no clue where Hinamori might have been taken."

"So, Hinamori-chan was kidnapped last night huh," said Shunsui. "I guess it's fortunate that you came back from your search so soon."

"Fortune had nothing do with it. Komamura and I found the place where Matsumoto and Hisagi had been taken to, but when we got there it was completely deserted. They knew we were coming and fled the place before we could catch them."

"Is that so? Then perhaps the abduction of Hinamori-chan might have something to do with the abandonment of the enemy's hideout," said Ukitake.

As Ukitake finished his sentence, another figure suddenly appeared in the Captain Commander's office. The figure was a member of the Onimitsukido's Riteitei, or Secret Remote Squad. He went onto his knees and bowed to the four captains.

"I have urgent news to report Sotaicho!" said the messenger. "Last night at around 2.30 am, the Patrol Corps detected an unauthorized Senkaimon opening near the Western White Way Gate. Three individuals were spotted entering the gate; an unidentified woman wearing a red kimono, a prisoner from the Underground Holding Cell, and the third seat of the 10th division Hinamori Momo." The messenger's words caused all four captains to gasp in complete shock, for the implications of his message were far reaching.

"A Senkaimon near the White Way Gate…there's only one possible place they could have gone," said Ukitake.

"Yes, they've most likely headed to Karakura Town," said Unohana.

"And the true goal they are after is the creation of the Ouken," said Shunsui. The four captains all realized the full extent of the danger they faced.

"Kyoraku-san, I request permission to form a strike team to invade Karakura Town and stop those individuals from making the Ouken," said Hitsugaya.

"Alright, you may do so," said Shunsui. "Take as many high ranking Shinigami as you require but do it quick. We don't know how far they've gone in their ceremony, but we have to prevent them from finishing the initial chant."

Hitsugaya nodded and quickly left the first division barracks. He was about to get out his Danreishinki when he realized that contacting all of the divisions en masse and telling them of the mission would be a better idea. Taking out two vials of ink from his Shihakusho, Hitsugaya threw them into the air, rolled up the sleeves of his left arm and thrust his arm forward into the path of the vials, causing the vials to draw markings around both sides of his arm.

"Bakudo 77, _Tentei Kura_," said Hitsugaya. A few seconds later he felt he had acquired the spiritual pressures of all the captains and lieutenants who were still present in Seireitei and were not incapacitated or tied up with administrative work. His voice reverberated through the whole of Seireitei,

"_I am Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro of the tenth division. Everyone who is hearing my message, listen carefully. We have an emergency situation. The intruders who unleashed the uprising of the prisoners not so long ago were detected by the Secret Remote Squad opening a Seireimon to Karakura Town. There is a high chance their objective is to create the Ouken. Furthermore, we believe that these intruders are holding lieutenant Matsumoto and Hisagi and the third seat Hinamori Momo hostage. I have been authorized by the Captain Commander to lead a strike force to Karakura Town to stop the intruders from creating the Ouken and to rescue all three of the captured Shinigami. I want all captains and lieutenants who are hearing this message to come to my aid. Please meet me within half an hour at the Western White Way Gate_."

The people who heard Hitsugaya's message through the _Tentei Kura_ were all in a position to immediately respond. Komamura, Iba and Kira had already been anticipating any information from Hitsugaya.

"This is it Tetsuzaemon, Izuru, our chance to rescue Hisagi-san and bring those intruders to account once and for all!" shouted Komamura.

"Damn straight captain," said Iba. Kira nodded. The three of them quickly flash stepped towards the White Way Gate.

The sixth division lieutenant Abarai Renji was in the midst of assisting his captain Byakuya make his way back to the division barracks when he heard the message.

"Taicho, I just received an urgent message from Hitsugaya," said Renji.

"Yes, I know," said Byakuya. "I heard it too."

"Will be okay so soon after your discharge from the medical bay?"

"I'll manage. The safety of Karakura Town and Soul Society are far more important than my wellbeing."

"In understand, Taicho." With that, Renji left his captain to return to the sixth division barracks by himself, and flash stepped towards the White Way Gate.

The final two people who responded to Hitsugaya's message were Ichigo and Rukia. The two of them had just come out of another dip in the secret underground training room's hot spring when they heard the _Tentei Kura._

"That was Captain Hitsugaya," said Rukia. "He said something about a Seireimon being opened to Karakura Town."

"It must be that damned woman and her associates," said Ichigo. "The remaining fifth division deserters and that Nejibana fellow might also be with them. Come on Rukia, let's head to the White Way Gate as soon as possible." The two of them hastily got dressed into their Shihakusho before exiting the underground training room and flash stepping across Seireitei as fast as they could.

Half an hour later, seven captains and lieutenants gathered at the White Way Gate. Hitsugaya, who arrived at the Gate soon after he transmitted the _Tentei Kura_, was disappointed that only six other people had responded to his summons.

"I had hoped that more lieutenants, or perhaps even captains, would respond to my message," said Hitsugaya with some disappointment.

"We'll have to make do with what we have," said Komamura. "Our priority now is getting to Karakura Town as fast as possible." Hitsugaya nodded. When he was sure that no one else would appear, he proceeded to open a Seireimon Gate. The seven high level Shinigami stepped into the Senkaimon.

* * *

At the same moment in the real world, Kyoka Suigetsu, Shinso and Suzumushi, along with their fifth division deserter pawns, the Zanpakuto Nejibana and the three hostages they managed to capture, were already well advanced in their preparations in Karakura Town. Due to the time difference between the real world and Soul Society, it was now night over Karakura Town, with a full moon slowly rising into the sky. The motley group of invaders had gathered at the Karakura Memorial Park, were standing around the white platform that had been the scene of an attempt by a group of rogue Quincies to attract hundreds of thousands of hollows and open a gate to Soul Society. Standing in the centre of the white platform, inside a dark red spirit circle, was the tenth division's third seat Hinamori Momo. Although she was already being mind controlled by someone, Kyoka Suigetsu had ordered her hands and feet to be bound by bracelets that sealed off all of her spiritual energy just in case she broke free of the mind control."

"Kazuya, Agard, Bokuran, spread yourselves out to cover the perimeter of the park," said Kyoka Suigetsu. "You too Nejibana. The Gotei 13 are bound to send troops here to stop us. You need to prevent them from disrupting the ceremony."

"But Aizen Taicho, don't you need me to control third seat Hinamori?" asked the bald man called Agard. "Isn't she the one supposed to do the chanting?"

"There is no need to worry about that Jumo. I will take care of Hinamori-chan personally. You just stand watch on the perimeter for the appearance of any Seireimon signaling the arrival of the Gotei 13's invasion force." The three former fifth division officers nodded and flash stepped away, as did the Zanpakuto Nejibana. Staying behind were Shinso and Suzumushi, who were guarding the two other hostages, Matsumoto and Hisagi.

"What do you want us to do when the Gotei 13 get here?" asked Suzumushi.

"Just continue with the ceremony. Once the invasion force arrives, I need to return to Soul Society to accomplish something," said Kyoka Suigetsu.

"I understand, mistress," said Suzumushi. Shinso simply smirked. The two hostage lieutenants Matsumoto and Hisagi stood beside Shinso and Suzumushi without saying a word. Both of them had been forced to take a serum made by Bokuran that completely overrode their consciousness and turned them into slaves without free will. Neither of them were aware that their nakama Hinamori was right next to them, bound up and chained to the white platform.

With Shinso and Suzumushi standing guard, Kyoka Suigetsu stepped onto the platform in front of Hinamori and held her hands into the air. She began chanting in an arcane dialect, one never spoken by any Shinigami in more than a thousand years. Soon the sky above the platform began to crackle with red and blue sparks of energy, and the circle where Hinamori was standing in started glowing.

* * *

A few minutes later, in an area of the sky above Karakura Town at least four kilometers away from the Memorial Park, a Senkaimon suddenly appeared and seven figures quickly and silently dashed out. The spirit gate closed behind them.

"Alright, I sense a cluster of about eight or nine spirit pressures to the north," said Hitsugaya. Ichigo looked to where Hitsugaya was pointing.

"Karakura Memorial Park, so that's where they're at," said Ichigo.

"You mean the same place those Quincies tried to summon all of those hollows?" asked Rukia. Ichigo and Renji nodded.

"Let's descend to the street level and head there by foot," said Hitsugaya. They descended to the ground.

"Let's suppress our reiatsu," said Komamura. "Those enemies might not know we're coming." Everyone agreed with Komamura's advice. The entire group suppressed their reiatsu down to negligible levels and sprinted towards the Memorial Park at speeds faster than any normal human could run.

About halfway to their target the group sensed two spiritual pressures approach them. They were not hostile, yet both were as least as large as a lieutenant. Hitsugaya and Komamura wondered who they belonged to but Ichigo, Rukia and Renji recognised them immediately.

"I know these two reiatsus," said Ichigo. "It's Ishida and Chad."

On cue, the Shinigami saw two figures emerge from a side street. One figure was a man with glasses dressed in fancy white clothing. The other was a dark-skinned man wearing a dark blue shirt and jeans.

"Long time no see, Kurosaki," said Ishida.

"What are you two doing here Ishida?" asked Ichigo.

"We should be asking you Shinigami the same question, but I suspect you already know the answer. We detected the appearance of those hostile spiritual pressures over Karakura Town about ten hours ago. Sado and I wondered whether we should intervene," said Ishida.

"We only made our main to join the fight once we sensed the arrival of you Shinigami," said Chad.

"Wait a minute, if you humans sensed our arrival, then wouldn't others have sensed it as well?" asked Hitsugaya.

"Perhaps our enemies already know that we're coming," said Komamura.

"If that is the case then a sneak assault is futile," said Kira.

"Are you going to join us?" asked Rukia of Ishida and Chad. The two humans nodded.

"But Ishida, didn't you vow not to get involved in the affairs of Shinigami ever again?" asked Ichigo. "That is what you said to your father in front of us." Ishida pushed up his glasses and grinned.

"It's true that I said that I wouldn't get involved with the Shinigami, but that only applied to getting involved in Soul Society business. Stepping in to protect Karakura Town is another story. Do you really think I'd sit back and let those intruders destroy my home town?"

"I feel the same way. We're not necessarily allied with you Shinigami," said Chad. "We just happen to have the same goal in mind."

"Heh, fair enough," smiled Hitsugaya. "Having you two humans fight with us will make our task much easier. Just don't get in our way."

With that the two humans joined with the Shinigami task force and flash stepped towards the Memorial Park as fast as they could, with no pretence of suppressing their reiatsu.

As Komamura predicted, the enemies had already anticipated their arrival, for when they were within a hundred metres of the park the group was suddenly intercepted by four figures. Three of them were dressed in white Shihakushos covered by black cloaks, whilst the fourth figure was dressed in a dark blue hakama and kosode. Ichigo and Rukia instantly recognised two of them; the former fifth division's third seat Kazuya and the Zanpakuto Nejibana.

"We knew you'd be coming, Gotei 13," said Kazuya.

"Only two captains and four lieutenants? How negligent," said a bald man beside Kazuya. "Do you really think you can stop us with only six fighters?"

"Wait a sec, they've brought along two humans as well. The Gotei 13 has surely fallen indeed to require the services of such low-life creatures," said a man with brown hair and purple coloured glasses. Hitsugaya was about to unsheathe his sword and fight them when he saw a large column of red spiritual energy shoot up into the sky.

"What is that?" asked Hitsugaya.

"It's coming from the Memorial Park," said Rukia.

"Don't tell me the ceremony has already started!" exclaimed Komamura.

"Indeed it has," said Kazuya. "Aizen Taicho has almost finished making the Ouken. I estimate he only needs fifteen more minutes until it's done."

"Do you guys realize what will happen if your 'captain' succeeds in creating the Ouken?" asked Ichigo. "All of you will be wiped off the face of the earth!"

"We'll gladly sacrifice our lives to fulfill Aizen Taicho's goals," said the bald man.

"There's no point reasoning with them Ichigo," said Renji as he unsheathed his sword. "They're all a bunch of fanatics. Captain Hitsugaya, Captain Komamura, Izuru-san, please go ahead of us and stop the ceremony. We'll deal with these guys here?"

"Alright, I'm counting on you guys," said Hitsugaya. He turned to Komamura and Kira. "Let's go!" The three of them jumped into the air and flash steppe forwards. The bald man and the guy with the glasses tried to intercept them but Renji and Ishida got in their way.

"If you want to chase after them, you'll have to deal with us," said Renji.

"Tch, you low-life scum!" exclaimed the man with the glasses.

"Don't worry about it Bokuran," said Kazuya. "Having these guys here is a bonus for us. Those three Shinigami who went on ahead aren't going to be able to stop the ceremony in time."

"Kazuya-san, do you mind if we fight them separately?" asked the Zanpakuto Nejibana.

"Of course not. In fact, that's what I want all of us to do. Fight the Shinigami and humans and separately so that none of them slip through our defences!"

"Hey Renji, are you okay with me fighting the Kazuya guy and Rukia fighting the Zanpakuto spirit?" asked Ichigo.

"Yeah I don't mind. I have a score to settle with that bald guy," said Renji.

"Then Sado and I will fight the guy with the glasses," said Ishida. Chad nodded. The fighters on each opposing team paired off and flew to different parts of Karakura Town to begin their battles. Ichigo and Rukia led Kazuya and Nejibana near the river that divided the town in half, whilst Ishida, Chad and Renji led their opponents towards the Karakura High School.

* * *

At this moment, the ceremony to make the Ouken was well advanced. Kyoka Suigetsu's chant had somehow caused the entire platform in the middle of the Memorial Park to levitate above the ground. It was now floating a hundred metres in the sky. Hinamori was still standing in the middle of the platform, with her hand and feet bound and her mind still unconscious. Shinso and Suzumushi were hovering in the air on both sides of the platform. The two of them detected three strong spiritual pressures heading towards them.

"Mistress, there are three Shinigami approaching us at rapid speed!" exclaimed Suzumushi.

"Let them come," said Kyoka Suigetsu. She somehow stopped her chant. "I want the two of you to defend the platform and make sure that they don't remove the third seat Hinamori. As long as she's standing in the centre of that magic circle, the spell to create the Ouken will finish by itself."

"Where are you going then, Suigetsu-san?" asked Shinso.

"Back to Soul Society. There is something I must do," said Kyoka Suigetsu. "I'm leaving everything up to you two."

With that the Zanpakuto spirit opened a Senkaimon to Soul Society and stepped into it. As the gate closed her two henchmen Shinso and Suzumushi ordered their two slaves Matsumoto and Hisagi to stand beside them.

"Our mistress makes us do all the hard work," said Shinso. "Oh well, let's give these Shinigami something they'll never forget.

* * *

Notes: The chapter title and the setting are both meant to evoke the events of the Arrancar Arc, namely the Night of the Sledgehammer and the White Invasion, with the difference being that it is the Shinigami who are invading.

I want to say some words about the few readers who've commented that some characters like Ichigo and Hitsugaya have been acting OOC. Whilst I accept those criticisms, I don't think I've made them act too unlike their manga counterparts. Any difference in each character's personality, especially in Ichigo's case, was done to develop them more and make them more interesting.


	33. Chapter 33: Deja Voodoo

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 33 Déjà Voodoo

Renji jumped of the rooftop of an apartment building and flew across a busy street. As he did so he fended off an attack by the bald headed man who he remembered went by the name of Agard. So far the two combatants were only trading sword strikes, with Renji using his released Zanpakuto _Zabimaru_ and Agard only using his sealed sword.

_I've got to keep a lookout for his Shikai¸ _thought Renji. He remembered what his captain Byakuya had said to him about Agard's Zanpakuto. _Do not get caught by his Shikai release, no matter what happens_. He slashed downwards with his sword at Agard, but when his attack was parried Renji quickly flash stepped backwards.

"What is the matter, lieutenant? Why are you so hesitant in attacking me?" asked Agard. "Are you afraid of my power? Or are you simply a coward?" The man called Agard launched into a flurry of sword swings that Renji was hard pressed to block. One strike managed to penetrate Renji's guard and cut him on the left shoulder, spurting out a small amount of blood. Renji quickly flash stepped a dozen metres away from Agard and floated in the air. He panted heavily.

"This is getting boring. I, Agard Sunharo, have better things to do than to fight with you," said Agard. "Instead, I shall use the power Aizen Taicho has given me to make you kill yourself!"

_"Shit, he's releasing!" _Renji swore in his head. Before Agard could release his sword Renji quickly shouted "Bankai!" His Zanpakuto transformed into a gigantic skeletal snake, with a body made up of dozens of tan coloured bone segments, and the tail of the snake being a prehensile handle that was held by Renji. Renji wore a light red fur cowl that wrapped around his neck and his shoulders, and upon his left shoulder was an ape skull.

"_Hihio Zabimaru_!" shouted Renji. With a single swing of his right arm Renji sent his giant snake flying towards Agard. Agard jumped upwards to avoid the snake's strike.

"Trying to stop my Zanpakuto release by attacking with your Bankai eh?" asked Agard. "What a futile endeavour." Before Renji could bring his snake around for another attack, Agard made his sword suspend itself in the air, clapped his hands together and shouted "Suppress, _Brujeria_!" His sword twisted into a circle before it was covered in a cloud of pink dust that obscured the sword and Agard from view. When the dust cleared the sword had changed into a small round shield three foot wide that Agard held in his right hand. The shield was pink and white in colour, and in the middle of the shield there was a creepy looking face with a single eye.

_I can't let him control my head with that eye, _thought Renji. Instead of attacking Agard he brought his Bankai snake back and had it wrap around him so that his entire body was obscured from view.

"Trying to block my shield's line of sight?" asked Agard. "That is a completely pointless move lieutenant Abarai. I don't need to see your head to take control of you!"

"Well, before you try to control my body I'll blow you to bits with my Bankai," said Renji. He sent his spirit energy flowing along the length of the giant snake's body, causing the joints between each of the snake's segments to light up a bright red in colour. He then sent the giant snake forward just as his spirit energy reached the snake's head.

"_Hikotsu Taiho_!" shouted Renji. The giant snake opened its mouth and fired a crimson red blast of energy at Agard. The blast engulfed the prisoner and his shield and soon expanded into a huge explosion nearly fifty feet wide. The explosion created a large cloud of dust and smoke. Though Renji could still feel Agard's reiatsu, he was confident that he had succeeded in seriously damaging Agard. His hopes were dashed when, after the smoke dissipated, Agard emerged almost unscathed except for a few minor burns.

"No way, my attack had no effect?" asked Renji.

"What's with that look? Did you think I couldn't block that attack of yours with my shield? How naïve," said Agard. "My _Brujeria_ can do more than control the limbs or minds of enemies of enemies. It can also absorb the spirit energy of any attacks that hit it directly. All you managed to do was to give me free spirit energy. And you've given me a free opening to take control of your Bankai with my _Amore_."

Renji's eyes widened in astonishment when his giant snake turned around and looked at him. There was a black sun-like tattoo on the snake's forehead. Renji tried to move his snake but found he couldn't. He could only look on in horror as the snake opened its mouth and began to charge a _Hikotsu Taiho_ blast.

"_Shit_!" shouted Renji as the snake fired the crimson red energy attack. The blast engulfed Renji in a massive explosion that destroyed a two storey-building, reducing it to a pile of ashes. It also caused the giant snake's bone segments to be scattered everywhere.

When the smoke and dust around the vicinity cleared, it was evident that Renji had taken almost all of the blast. His face, shoulders, arms and chest were heavily burnt, his outer black kosode had been torn off, rendering him topless; and his torso was now covered with blood. Renji looked up and saw a smiling Agard hovering above him.

"It is over. Your Bankai has been shattered, and it would take me less than a second to take control of your head," said Agard. "If you surrender now, I may spare your life and turn you into my puppet instead. I could use you to backstab your comrades."

"You bastard," said Renji. "I would never let myself be used like that!"

"So be it. I'll just make you kill yourself," said Agard. He was about to turn the gaze of his shield at Renji's head when Renji suddenly put his left hand against the floor and shouted "Bakudo 21, _Sekienton_!" A large cloud of red smoke hid Renji from view. Unable to see his target, Agard resorted to waiting for the smoke to dissipate.

"Are you trying to escape from me using a cheap smokescreen? What a cowardly act!" shouted Agard. What the bald prisoner did not realize was that Renji hadn't fled at all. He had simply used the smokescreen as a way to buy some time.

A few seconds later, the smokescreen was blown away by a massive burst of red spiritual energy that was powerful enough to push even Agard backwards. Agard's eyes widened in shock when he saw Renji emerge from the smoke. Renji now looked completely different in appearance. His tattered Shihakusho had been replaced by something that resembled a thick baboon hide, a crimson red in colour. It covered his chest, shoulders, arms and legs. He wore a helmet over his head that looked like a baboon's skull. Draping along Renji's back was a series of thick bone plates that resembled a giant snake's backbone. The plates eventually formed into a long prehensile tail with a large snake skull at its very end. Finally, Renji's arms were covered by a pair of white bone gauntlets that ended in a set of sharp claws shaped like snake fangs.

"What the hell is that form?" asked Agard. "I've never seen anything like it!"

"_Kousotsu Zabimaru, Hihio Koutetsu_," said Renji. "This is the ultimate form of my Bankai. I've never had a chance to try it out until now, for I wasn't confident of being able to use it properly. But this is the form I spent five years of long hard training to achieve. I had originally planned on demonstrating it to Captain Kuchiki, but using it to kill you would be just as good."

"Ha! As if changing in a monkey costume will give you any better chance at killing me than you did before!" laughed Agard. "You won't be able to escape my _Amore_!" Agard directed the gaze of his shield at Renji again, trying to control the sixth division lieutenant's head. But in a flash Renji suddenly appeared _behind_ Agard. Before the bald man could react Renji slashed at his back and tore through Agard's skin. He created a nasty gash that went right down Agard's back from his shoulder to his waist. A huge amount of blood spurted out.

"Impossible! How did you get behind me!" shouted Agard as he saw Reni appear in front of him.

"It's simple really," said Renji. "This form of my Bankai dramatically increases my speed and makes me as mobile as a baboon. I simply jumped behind you before you could see me." Shocked and angered that he had been so comprehensively blindsided, Agard let out a howl of rage. He pointed his shield at Renji.

"You scumbag! I'm going to take control of you and use you to kill your nakama, and then I will make you slit your own throat!" shouted Agard.

"You'll have to catch me first," said Renji. With that, he started jumping and Shunpo-ing past Agard at such a fast speed that Agard couldn't follow him at all, let alone catch him with the shield's gaze. Like an extremely agile monkey Renji crouched down and used both his arms and legs to push himself off to initiate every successive jump.

"Stop jumping around like that!" shouted Agard. He fired a _Shakkaho_ spell at Renji, but the attack was swatted away by Renji's snake head tail. Renji then used the snake head at the end of the tail to grab Agard by the neck and pulled him in. Agard saw a chance to take control of Renji and directed his shield's gaze at Renji's torso. His attempt was in vain, for even though he managed to mark Renji's body with a tattoo symbol, Agard had left himself wide open for an attack. Renji thrust his right arm forward and shattered the shield with the claws of his gauntlet. "My shield!" shouted Agard in despair. Renji released his grip on Agard's neck and kicked him hard in the face. The bald man was sent flying down to the rooftop of a three storey building, his impact creating a six feet wide crater. When Renji hovered above his opponent, he saw that Agard's Zanpakuto had reverted to its sealed state. Agard struggled to get up, and as he staggered onto his knees he coughed up blood from his mouth.

"It's not over. It can't end like this," said Agard in a hoarse voice. "I, Agard Sunharo, won't let myself be beaten by some no name lieutenant! I am Aizen Taicho's greatest servant! It was I who followed him everywhere he went! I, who impersonated him at official functions when he was off doing his secret missions! I sacrificed my whole live and soul for his cause! And in the name of Aizen Taicho, I will kill you, Abarai Renji!"

Agard leaped out of the crater and flew at Renji, holding his naked sword with both of his hands. Instead of dodging the attack, Renji took Agard's final blow head on. He let the sword penetrate the hide of his armour and pierce the skin beneath, but that was as far as Agard went. His sword had failed to puncture any of Renji's internal organs.

"I must say, you bear a remarkable resemblance to one of my closest friends," said Renji. An image of Ikkaku flashed through his head. "But compared to him, you're just a pathetic shell of a man. My friend swore to fight and die as a soldier under the banner of his captain, whilst you're simply a blind servant who listens to every whim of your so-called 'Aizen Taicho'. I can't believe scum like you ever got accepted into the Gotei 13 in the first place."

As Renji paced his right hand upon Agard's face, the bald man began to squirm and tremble. Beads of sweat flowed down his neck, as Agard realized he was about to be killed.

"Please, spare my life. I'll do anything to make up for the horrible crimes I've done!" shouted Agard in a pleading voice.

"Do you think I'd be fooled by your act? You're the one who's naïve," said Renji. "It's too late for you to beg for mercy now." Renji charged spirit energy into his gauntlet, forming a red ball of energy in the palm of his right hand. "_Hikotsu Taiho_!" Renji fired a blast of crimson red energy at point blank range. The attack instantly blew off Agard's head as it streaked across the night sky. As Agard's sword disintegrated, Renji watched as the rest of the prisoner's body fell towards the ground below.

A few seconds after he saw Agard's body splatter onto the ground, Renji experienced a sudden spike of incredible pain through his entire body. He then spewed blood from his mouth. A second later his Bankai dissipated, leaving him with a tattered a Shihakusho and a broken unsealed blade. Fresh blood from the wounds he had received when he took the brunt of his own Bankai's attack.

"Shit, looks like going into _Hihio Koutetsu_ takes too much of a toll on my body," said Renji. With his spiritual pressure dropping, Renji descended to the streets below and then collapsed onto his front.

* * *

Renji's defeat of Agard had an immediate effect on the wider struggle. With Agard dead, the control over Hinamori's mind was lifted, and the 10th division third seat regained consciousness.

"Huh, where am I?" asked Hinamori. After a second of looking around, Hinamori realized her hands and legs were bound by cuffs that completely nullified her spiritual energy. She tried to break free but found it impossible to do so.

"Oh my, I didn't expect you to regain consciousness so soon, Momo-chan," said a creepy voice from behind. Hinamori turned her head and saw it was the guy who looked like Ichimaru, except there was something different about him.

"Who are you?" asked Hinamori. "What happened to me? And why am I being tied up like this?" Before she could speak anymore, Hinamori's mouth was covered by the man's right hand.

"Please keep quiet. You don't want to get punished do you? Just be a good girl and stay where you are. Your friends are coming soon to rescue you," said the man.

"Huh, Shiro-chan is coming after me?" asked Hinamori. The man suddenly karate chopped Hinamori's neck, knocking her unconscious again.

"Phew, dealing with her is such a nuisance," said Shinso. He sensed the spiritual pressures of three powerful Shinigami heading towards him. "Looks like they're almost here."

* * *

Hitsugaya, Komamura and Kira flew towards the centre of the Karakura Memorial Park. In the distance they could see a white platform floating in the sky. Standing still in the middle of the platform was a figure that Hitsugaya instantly recognised.

"Hinamori's being held captive in the centre of that platform!" exclaimed Hitsugaya.

"She appears to be guarded by that guy who looks like Captain Ichimaru," said Kira.

"That must be one of the intruders who instigated the uprising," said Komamura.

"Can you let me fight him alone?" asked Hitsugaya.

"Sure thing. He's not the one I'm after anyway," said Komamura. "My goal is to free Lieutenant Hisagi from the clutches of that black hooded guy."

"Allow me to help you Komamura Taicho," said Kira. "If Shuhei is under some sort of mind control, then it is better if I fight him. You can take on the black hooded guy."

"That is fine with me."

"Alright guys, let's do this!" exclaimed Hitsugaya. The three Shinigami separated into two groups. Hitsugaya went after Hinamori and the man who looked Shinso on the white platform, while Komamura and Kira headed for Hisagi and the black hooded person.

* * *

In the streets near the Karakura High School, a fierce battle was already raging. Ishida and Chad fought against the prisoner with the glasses, a person going by the name of Bokuran. The fight had been going on for some time, and neither party had scored any blows against the other.

Ishida fired a volley of arrows at Bokuran. The smug looking man pushed up his glasses and jumped up to avoid the arrows. Chad seized the opportunity and jumped up behind Bokuran and tried to punch his head with an _El Directo_ strike. Bokuran tilted his head, causing Chad's energy blast to narrowly miss him. Then the prisoner kicked Chad in the waist, knocking him towards the ground below. Chad landed on his feet and crouched down.

"Damn it, I almost had him," said Chad.

"I don't know about that," said Ishida. "It looks like he's just toying with us."

"How observant you are," said Bokuran. "I, Ramon 'The Razor' Bokuran, the fifth division's former research officer, was merely studying you and your friend's abilities. Both of you are really interesting specimens. First a Quincy who is able to fight at a lieutenant level and above, and second a human who possesses an abnormal spiritual power. I would dearly love to study the two of you in detail, but I simply don't have the time to do so."

"You don't have the time to study us?" asked Ishida. "That's kind of daft, considering that we're the ones under a time pressure. Isn't your purpose just to stall us until the Ouken is created?" Bokuran didn't seem amused when Ishida mentioned the Ouken.

"I can't believe you two humans know about the Ouken," said Bokuran. "The Gotei 13 must have truly fallen if they shared some of their most classified secrets with low-lives such as you. Allowing the two of you to live would cause a risk to Soul Society. But killing you would be waste too. How about I make the two of you my mindless slaves?"

"No thanks," said Ishida.

"It's not an offer," said Bokuran with an evil grin. "This is a near certainty of what's in store for both of you." Bokuran finally unsheathed his sword from its scabbard. He then placed the sword's pommel right between his hips, making it appear as if his sword was protruding from his crotch. Ishida and Chad were already disgusted by the sight, but it was nothing to what they saw next.

"Sip, _Fornicaras_," said Bokuran. A second later his Zanpakuto transformed. The blade of the sword was covered by a thick rubbery substance that was pinkish in colour. The two ends of the guard extended outwards and became elongated tendrils with a ball like tip. When the sword finished its transformation, it look resembled a strange fusion of the male and female reproductive organs.

"What the hell is that?" asked Chad.

"I know recognise his Zanpakuto," said Ishida. "The name of his release and the shape of his Shikai are both familiar to me. That guy is using the Zanpakuto of the former 8th Espada Szayelaporro Grantz."

"The 8th Espada? Wasn't he killed by that 12th division captain?"

"Indeed he was. I watched Kurotsuchi Mayuri kill him in the most horrifying fashion. But what concerns me is the powers this guy might potentially wield. If he uses any of the depraved abilities Szayelaporro used, then we are in big trouble."

"Are you done with your little chit chat?" asked Bokuran. "The two of you seem to be disturbed by my Zanpakuto's appearance. I'm not surprised. Aizen Taicho has given me a Zanpakuto that matches my genius. Be proud that you are the first victims I shall have the chance to use my Zanpakuto's full powers on."

Ishida and Chad braced themselves for the attacks Bokuran was about to unleash. Bokuran pushed up his glasses and with a mad grin squeezed one of the 'balls' at the end of his sword's guard tendrils. A red substance shot out of the tip of his blade and headed for Ishida. Ishida sensed how dangerous the substance was and tried to dodge it. He wasn't quite fast enough, and the substance splashed on his left hand.

"Damn it," said Ishida as the sticky red substance flowed down his left hand. _At least it isn't acidic_, thought Ishida. It was after Bokuran made a gesture with his sword that Ishida realized what the substance's effect was. All of a sudden Ishida's left hand started to move by itself.

"Argh!" shouted Ishida as he saw his left hand reach for his throat.

"What is the matter Ishida?" asked Chad with concern.

"I can't control my left hand!'" exclaimed Ishida. He tried to push his left hand down with his right hand, but the left hand kept on rising upwards. It was as if an invisible force was controlling a part of Ishida's body. Ishida glanced at Bokuran and noticed the man had a smug look on his face.

"Took you that long to notice my Zanpakuto's ability?" asked Bokuran. "You must be dumber than I thought you were Quincy. Oh well, I guess should explain the move a bit further. The substance I squirted you is made of my own blood. If a portion of that substance lands upon you, then I can use my Zanpakuto's powers to take control of your body's movement."

"So that is why my hand is moving against my will. You're controlling it with your spirit particles."

"That is correct. I shall enjoy watching you strangle yourself with your own hands," said Bokuran with a smirk. As his left hand was about to clasp around his throat, Ishida thought of a desperate solution. He reduced his spirit bow down to a small wrist-mounted size and with his right hand alone he fired an arrow that shot through his left forearm, leaving a bloody hole the size of a small coin. Ishida breathed a sigh of relief as his left arm flopped uselessly by his side.

"That was quite intelligent of you Quincy, but how are you going to fight me with one arm?" asked Bokuran. "Without your left arm you're nothing against me!"

"Hmph, is that so?" asked Ishida with a grin. "The loss of nerve signals to my left arm is but a small matter." Then, to Bokuran's astonishment, Ishida started forming blue threads of spirit particles around his left arm. The threads wrapped around his left arm like a bandage, covering it all the way to his hands. Bokuran gasped as Ishida started moving his left hand again.

"What is that technique? How the hell can you move your arm and hand again?" asked Bokuran in disbelief. Ishida was amused by the fact his opponent was completely dumbfounded.

"_Ransotengai_," said Ishida. "It's a technique that allows me to form strings made out of reishi that wrap around parts of my body. I can control these strings with my brain and through them I am able to control parts of my body that are broken or are paralyzed, like a puppet. I've already figured out what your Zanpakuto's technique is, so your attack won't work on me again."

"Bah, if I can't control you, then I shall control your friend instead!" shouted Bokuran. He turned to Chad and fired another burst of the red substance at him. Chad failed to dodge it in time and the substance splattered onto Chad's forehead.

An instant later Chad started to convulse. He clutched his head and screamed at the top of his voice. It was evident to Ishida that the substance was slowly taking control of Chad's mind.

"Fight against it Sado! Don't give in to the control!" shouted Ishida. Chad struggled against the substance's effects for a while longer, before his mind was finally overpowered. Ishida gritted his teeth when he saw Chad walk towards him, his eyes glowing yellow in colour. With his armored right arm Chad fired an _El Directo _blast at Ishida. Ishida barely managed to dodge the attack by jumping into the air.

"_There's only one way to stop Sado from being mind controlled without killing him_," said Ishida in his head. He got out a small silver tube from his shirt pocket and threw it at Chad's head. Just as the tube hit Chad's face Ishida clicked his left hand's fingers. The action caused the tube to explode in a small fireball that engulfed Chad's head. When the smoke cleared Chad's head had been horribly burnt, the skin of his face all blackened and covered with blood. Chad's eyes turned to normal and he collapsed onto his front.

"How cruel of you Quincy," commented Bokuran. "To attack your comrade with such ruthlessness." Bokuran walked over to Chad's body and examined him. "It looks like he's unconscious. It would be extremely easy for me to kill him like this."

"Oh yeah? I wouldn't be too sure about that," said Ishida. Before Bokuran could react, Chad suddenly grabbed both of his ankles and squeezed them tightly.

"Impossible! How could you have regained consciousness so quickly?" asked Bokuran.

"I merely feigned being unconscious," said Chad with a grin. "Uryu's attack did hurt, but it wasn't strong enough to knock me out. It's sole effect was to burn the part of my skin that that had been touched by that substance of yours." Bokuran tried to control Chad's body, but found that he couldn't.

"This can't be! I should still be able to control your brain!" exclaimed Bokuran.

"Looks like you haven't realized it yet," said Ishida. "Didn't I say I've already figured out your Zanpakuto's technique? The substance you sprayed upon our bodies only controls the nerve receptor cells on our skin. It takes control of our body parts by sending out nerve signals to our brain. If we sever the nerves leading to the brain, or we burn the substance off, then your Zanpakuto's technique has no effect on us."

Bokuran was too shocked and devastated to make response. Unable to move because of Chad grabbing hold of his ankles, Bokuran could only watch as Ishida expanded his bow to its normal size and pointed it at him.

"Sayonara, whoever your name was," said Ishida. "We're not going to let you take control of another person ever again." Ishida pulled back the strings of his spirit bow, _Ginrei Kojaku_. He chanted the words "_Licht Regen_" and fired a tremendous volley of arrows in a concentrated spread at Bokuran. Unable to move an inch, Bokuran was pummeled by the arrows, and bloody ashes appeared all over his face, torso, arms and legs. By the time Ishida had finished firing more than a thousand of his arrows, Bokuran's body was covered with wounds and bleeding from them profusely. Chad let go of his grip and stood up, just as Bokuran lost his balance and fell onto his back.

"How…how could I have let a mere human defeat me?" croaked Bokuran in despair. Chad stood over the fallen enemy and summoned his white armored left arm.

"What are you doing Sado?" asked Ishida.

"Making sure he doesn't recover. This blow will almost certainly kill him," said Chad. He channeled his spirit energy into the tips of the fingers of his left hand and said the words "_La Muerte_". Then Chad punched Bokuran hard in the chest region. The impact of his punch caused the ground around them to be deformed into the shape of a fearsome looking skull.

When Chad finished his attack and stood up again, he saw that he had torn a gaping hole right through Bokuran's chest. A large pool of blood formed underneath Bokuran's body.

"Is he dead?" asked Ishida as he stood alongside Chad.

"If he's not dead yet, then he'll die soon enough. That punch of mine destroyed his heart and broke his spine. He's not going to be able to get up after his," said Chad.

"Alright then, let's leave him here to die. We should go to my father's hospital and get some medical treatment. Our involvement with the Shinigami ends here."

Chad nodded and followed Ishida. The two humans walked away from the scene of the battle, leaving a totally defeated Bokuran to die a long and agonizing death.

"It…isn't…over…yet," croaked Bokuran. "I shall perform…my duties to Aizen Taicho…until the very moment I die." Unable to get up anymore, Bokuran devoted his remaining spirit energy and what remained of his Zanpakuto to control the minds and actions of the two hostages from the Gotei 13 who had drunk the serum he had produced.

* * *

"There they are!" exclaimed Kira as he and Komamura flew across the night sky. They saw two figures in the distance. One figure was none other than the lieutenant of the 9th division, Hisagi Shuhei. His clothes were slightly torn and his skin appeared to be slightly off in colour, but it was still unmistakably him. The other figure was a strange person dressed up in a large black cloak that covered all of his body, with a wood that also obscured his face. The only noticeable aspect of this person were the wings that were protruding from his back.

The black cloaked man saw the two Shinigami coming and motioned for Hisagi to stand up and face them. Komamura and Kira stopped as soon as they got within speaking distance. "I've been expecting you, Komamura Sajin-san," said the black cloaked man. Komamura was surprised to hear the man's voice, for it sounded like someone who had been familiar to him.

"That voice…are you Tousen Kaname?" asked Komamura. The man pulled down his cloak, revealing the most hideous looking face; one that resembled a grotesque combination of a man and a cricket.

"I am not Tousen-san. I am his Zanpakuto, Suzumushi," said the man.

"You're Suzumushi?" asked Komamura. His entire body froze in shock and astonishment. Still distracted by this revelation, Komamura failed to see Hisagi fly towards him and strike at his head with his sword. He was saved when Kira flash stepped in front of him and intercepted Hisagi's attack.

"Let me handle Shuhei-san," said Kira. "I'll make sure to free him from whatever mind control he's been subjected do. I know you want to fight that oversized bug guy."

"Fine then, you may do so," said Komamura. He watched as Kira and Hisagi flash stepped away to begin their fight. Komamura then faced off against the man who called himself Suzumushi.

"I don't know if you're really Suzumushi, but I will not forgive you for brainwashing Hisagi like that!" exclaimed Komamura.

"Hmph, bring it on Komamura. I can't wait to get revenge upon you for my masters death," said Suzumushi.

* * *

Notes: Sorry for the long delay between updates. I'll try to update more frequently if I can. I'll also pay more attention to feedback.

Renji's new Bankai form is similar to the one he had in Bleach: After the War, but with slight alterations. It's name, _Kousotsu Zabimaru, Hihio Koutetsu_ (あrもれ わっりお 蛇尾丸, 狒狒 あrもr), means 'Armored Warrior Zabimaru, Baboon King Armor'. It's essentially a reversal of his normal Bankai form, with the baboon side of his Zanpakuto becoming the base instead of his snake side.


	34. Chapter 34: Black Moon White Maiden

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 34 Black Moon White Maiden

A large explosion near the suspension bridge spanning the two halves of Karakura Town caused the waters of the river bisecting the city to rise up a hundred metres into the air before they splashed down in a torrential shower. Two figures flash stepped through the downpour, clashing weapons with each other, before both of them jumped into the air and landed on the very top of the two middle pylons of the suspension bridge. One of the figures was a woman dressed in black and with raven black hair. The other figure was a man with dark blue hair and a blue Shihakusho.

"How is this possible?" asked the Zanpakuto Nejibana. "Your speed, power and spiritual pressure have all increased substantially in the last few days." He waved his weapon, an eight foot long silver trident at his opponent, the Shinigami Kuchiki Rukia. The two of them had been fighting for more than ten minutes. During that time Rukia had managed to score a wound upon Nejibana's face without being injured herself.

"Are you simply angry that I am getting the better of you at the moment?" asked Rukia in response. Her words seemed to unnerve Nejibana. The Zanpakuto pointed his trident at her.

"Watch your mouth, girl," said Nejibana. "You only escaped with your life the last time we thought because I underestimated your abilities. This time I will not make the same mistake again." Rukia watched as Nejibana started channeling his spirit energy into the tips of his trident's three prongs. The energy condensed into a ball of swirling water.

"_Mizu Zamen_," said Nejibana. He fired the ball of swirling ball of water from the tip of the trident. Rukia saw the ball flying at her and jumped into the air to avoid it. She was taken aback however when Nejibana started firing more balls of water from the tip of his trident at rapid speed. Rukia tried to dodge each of the balls using multiple flash steps per second. She was successful at first but the speed the balls were being fired at increased to a point where Rukia could barely even keep track of. She was eventually hit in the waist by one of the balls, the impact knocking the wind out of her and causing her to cough up blood from the mouth.

"You're mine Kuchiki!" shouted Nejibana. He charged at Rukia during her brief moment of incapacitation and tried to impale her through the waist again. Just as he was about to penetrate Rukia's waist the latter recovered and flash stepped away, with Nejibana only managing to graze Rukia's chest region.

Rukia landed just slightly above the surface of the river and hovered there. She examined the place where she had been grazed. It was only a superficial wound, with most of the damage occurring to her Shihakusho, which now hung loose, exposing her inner white kosode and a portion of her bare skin.

"Tch, only a flesh wound? Fine then, I'll make sure to finish you with my next attack!" shouted Nejibana. He slowly descended to the surface of the river and stared at Rukia.

"Aren't you underestimating me, Nejibana-san?" asked Rukia. She showed him her sword. "I haven't even released my Zanpakuto yet. Do you really think you can finish me off so easily? I've yet to show you the true strength I've gained since the last time we fought."

Rukia proceeded to release her Zanpakuto _Sode no Shirayuki_ with a single swing of her hand. Holding her Shikai with her right hand, she pointed it horizontally at Nejibana. Nejibana's eyes widened in astonishment when four streaks of snow started concentrating at the tip of _Sode no Shirayuki_.

"Tsugi no Mai, _Hakuren_!" shouted Rukia. From the tip of the blade she fired a concentrated blast of snow and ice. Nejibana jumped into the air to avoid being hit by the blast, as it completely froze a two mile stretch of the river. The Zanpakuto did a mid-air somersault to land upon the horizontal face of one of the bridge's supporting pylons. As soon as his feet touched the pillar, a white circle appeared around his body.

"Some no Mai, _Tsukishiro_!" shouted Rukia. With a swing of her sword, she caused a giant cylindrical column of ice to shoot out from the white circle. Nejibana barely managed to escape being frozen by the column as he jumped into the air. He was too focused on the sheer length of the column of ice that he failed to sense the movement of Rukia's spirit pressure. She flash stepped past Nejibana, slicing across his side as she did so. Blood burst from the wound and Nejibana himself coughed up blood from his mouth. The Zanpakuto fell into the river below.

Rukia landed on one of the suspension bridge's pylons and watched as Nejibana emerged from the river panting heavily. With bloodshot eyes he glared at Rukia.

"No matter how strong you've gotten, you still won't be able to defeat me!" exclaimed Nejibana. "Like you I've been building up my strength in the past few days. Now, I shall demonstrate to you a power that even my master never achieved!" Nejibana held his trident in front of his body and started it spinning in a circle. As he did so he shouted "Bankai!"

A large vortex of water rose up from the river and surrounded Nejibana, obscuring him from view. He re-emerged a few seconds later, his form having completely changed. He was now topless and his skin had changed into a dark blue in colour. His eyes glowed a bright yellow and his now spikier. His bare feet rested upon a column of water that rose from the ground. He was still holding the blue trident in his hands, but now the trident was generating a literal wall of water around his body.

_So this is Nejibana-san's Bankai form_, thought Rukia. _It doesn't look like he's changed much_. She watched as Nejibana gripped his trident with both hands.

"This is it Kuchiki!" shouted Nejibana. With a single downward swing of his trident he created a fifty metre high shockwave of water that streaked towards Rukia at an incredible speed. Rukia initially thought about blocking the shockwave with a Kido spell, but when she realized how powerful it was, she quickly jumped into the air. The shockwave of water slammed against the suspension bridge pylon and carved a huge chunk out of it. The water at the edges of the shockwave splashed down onto the road running along the suspension bridge and swept a dozen cars into the river.

_Those poor humans_, thought Rukia, as she watched several figures scream for their lives as they tried desperately to escape the fast sinking cars. Her fixation upon them caused her to drop her guard. Nejibana saw her opening and quickly fired a blast of water from his trident. Rukia looked up in time to see the blast of water coming towards her. As a defensive maneuver she held her sword in front of her body. The blast hit her squarely in the torso but her sword took most of the blow, with the rest of the damage being absorbed by her clothes. She was sent hurtling past the bridge and splashed into the river more than a hundred metres away.

Rukia managed to recover and emerged from the river, just in time to see Nejibana in his Bankai form advance towards her.

"Still haven't died yet Kuchiki?" asked Nejibana. "It seems I must make you suffer before I can truly kill you." Rukia stared at Nejibana's eyes.

"When did you become so coldhearted Nejibana-san? You killed all of those innocent humans on the bridge without a moment's thought," said Rukia. "As a Zanpakuto aren't you meant to protect the living?"

"I don't give a damn about protecting anyone!" screamed Nejibana. "My master devoted his life to protecting all living and spiritual creatures and what did he get in return? He got absorbed by a hollow and killed by his nakama! I live only to serve the will of my master and no one else!" Rukia felt saddened by Nejibana's words, as she remembered the kind hearted Zanpakuto he used to be like.

"You've truly fallen Nejibana-san," said Rukia. "It pains both me and my Zanpakuto to see you like this. On behalf of Kaien-dono, who has entrusted his hear to me, I will put you out of your misery." Rukia held her sword horizontally in front of her body, lifted her left leg up and started spinning in a circle. As she spun she shouted the word "Bankai!".

A spiraling vortex of snow and ice surrounded Rukia, obscuring her from view. Nejibana watched in astonishment as Rukia's body underwent a remarkable transformation. For a brief moment all of her clothes were stripped away, leaving her stark naked. Then a kimono of pure white materialized over her body. It was followed by a yellow ribbon that wrapped around Rukia's waist, and a pair of white slippers that formed around her feet. Rukia's hair lengthened, extending all the way down to her waist. Finally a white tiara-like circlet formed around Rukia's forehead. As the vortex of snow disappeared, Rukia finally emerged, revealing her transformed self to a shell-shocked Nejibana. A trail of snow continuously flowed from Rukia's hands.

"_Miko no Shirayuki_," said Rukia, saying the name of her Zanpakuto's Bankai form.

"Impossible!" exclaimed Nejibana at Rukia. "Since when did you achieve Bankai?"

"In the past few days. Did it even occur to you the significance of me being able to release my Shikai without saying its incantation? After our last battle I trained long and hard with my Zanpakuto spirit Sode no Shirayuki. It was a grueling but ultimately rewarding experience."

Rukia remembered the very moment she succeeded in subduing Sode no Shirayuki. After breaking her sword in half, Rukia had fled from Shirayuki before she got cornered against a rock outcrop. Just as her Zanpakuto was about to move in to finish her, Rukia held out her sword and braced for the end. To her surprise, Rukia had managed to skewer Sode no Shirayuki, when the Zanpakuto's sword shattered the moment it touched her body. In the last moments before she dematerialized, Sode no Shirayuki spoke a line that Rukia would never forget.

"_You've done well Rukia-chan,"_ said Sode no Shirayuki. "_You've unlocked the true strength that lies in the depths of your heart. Remember this feeling, always._"

"The moment I defeated my Zanpakuto, I was bestowed with all of her powers. I will show you Nejibana-san, why a Shinigami and a Zanpakuto working together will always be more powerful than a Zanpakuto by itself."

"You're not going to have time to show me it, because I'm going to kill you right now!" shouted Nejibana. He swung his trident again and summoned a fifty metre high wall of water that travelled towards Rukia. As the wall neared her, Rukia held out her right hand forward and said the words "_Shiro Iki_". A blast of super cold air erupted from her hand. When the cold air hit the wall of water it froze the entire wall in a matter of seconds. For a brief moment Nejibana stared at his frozen wall in disbelief.

"That was just a lucky fluke Kuchiki!" exclaimed Nejibana. He fired another concentrated blast of water at Rukia. Rukia extended out her left hand and fired another blast of super cold air. The cold air froze the entire length of the blast all the way back to Nejibana's trident.

Rukia then jumped into the air. With a wave of her right hand she summoned more than fifty white icicles in front of her.

"_Hakuhari_," said Rukia. The fifty icicles flew in rapid succession at Nejibana. The Zanpakuto tried to raise up a wall of water to protect himself but the icicles froze the water and then shattered the ice structure, leaving Nejibana exposed. The final few icicles pummeled Nejibana, with each puncture freezing a part of his body. Soon the Zanpakuto was almost completely frozen.

Rukia summoned a sword made out of snow and ice in her right hand and flash stepped towards Nejibana. Before she could allow him to thaw out Rukia pierced Nejibana's heart with her ice sword. The ice that was covering Nejibana instantly shattered. Nejibana's Bankai form also shattered, causing him to revert to his normal form as Rukia withdrew her sword.

As blood flowed from the gaping wound in his chest, Nejibana's face seemed to change. There was no longer a trace of anger and vengeance in his eyes. The Zanpakuto regarded Rukia with a warm smile.

"Thank you Kuchiki. You lifted a dark cloud that been hanging over me," said Nejibana. "I am ashamed of the atrocities I committed while living this wretched half life. You redeemed my soul before I died. For that I truly thank you from the bottom of my heart." He closed his eyes as he body slowly disintegrated. A few seconds later Nejibana's physical body disappeared, leaving behind a bare asauchi blade that instantly broke in half before falling into the water. Rukia picked up the two halves of the blade and clutched it against her chest.

"You're finally free Nejibana-san. I hope you reunite with your master Kaien-dono again," said Rukia. A few seconds later Rukia's white kimono and long hair suddenly disappeared, leaving her in a Shihakusho that exposed most of her chest. She panted heavily.

_I guess I'm not used to Bankai yet. Just staying in that form almost drained all of my spirit energy_. She glanced at the left river bank, and saw a large explosion in the distance.

"Ichigo is still fighting. I hope he's okay," said Rukia.

* * *

Ichigo emerged from the ruins of a burning two storey building and jumped into the air. His forehead was bruised and a line of blood flowed down the left side of his face. As he hovered in the sky Ichigo looked towards the river.

_Looks like Rukia has defeated her opponent_, thought Ichigo.

"What are you looking at?" shouted Kazuya. He thrust his twin-bladed staff at Ichigo. Ichigo managed to raise his released sword at the last moment and block the strike. Sparks of electricity bounced off the point where the two blades clashed.

"You seem distracted, Kurosaki Ichigo," said Kazuya. "Are you worried about your nakama?"

"Not really. I know that she's safe at the moment," said Ichigo.

"Don't be so confident. Your friend may have defeated her opponent but as soon as I'm done with you I'll go after her." Nejibana clenched his left hand into a tight fist. Ichigo stared at Kazuya's left arm. It was bestial in appearance, covered with black fur, and with the fingers on his hand ending in sharp claws.

"You're quite boastful too, for someone who lost his arm," said Ichigo. "Looks like you 'Captain Aizen' couldn't find a suitable human replacement arm for you."

"You're wrong. Aizen Taicho gave me this left arm as a reward for my services. It is far more powerful than my original arm, and I shall use it to crush your throat," said Kazuya. He swung the other end of his staff at Ichigo's face. Ichigo dodged the swing and jumped into the air. He let go of _Zangetsu_'s pommel and instead held onto its cloth wrap with both hands. Then, using the strength of both his arms, Ichigo used the cloth wrap to swing his sword in a downward arc at Kazuya's head. Kazuya tried to block the attack with his staff, but Ichigo's sword cut right through the staff's middle section. It then proceeded to cut right through Kazuya's clothes and pierced his skin, and went all the way down to his waist, before Ichigo retracted the hilt wrap. Kazuya screamed in pain as blood spurted from the large gash that now ran down the middle of his bare torso.

" You bastard! How did you manage to get so damn powerful?" asked Kazuya. His face was full of shock and anger.

"I've been training these past few days," said Ichigo. He fully retracted the hilt wrap and gripped _Zangetsu_'s pommel and slung it over his right shoulder. "Surely you didn't think I'd fight you again without getting stronger?"

"Is that so? Then the two of us think alike," said Kazuya. "Since our last fight I've been thinking of nothing else but to get strong enough to tear you apart with my bare hands. And after pushing my body to the very limit I finally achieved it, my Zanpakuto's ultimate power!"

"You're Zanpakuto's ultimate power?" Ichigo was confused by Kazuya's words. He watched as Kazuya gripped the shattered halves of his lance with both hands. Then in a move that shocked Ichigo Kazuya stabbed the two halves of his lance into his chest.

"Behold Kurosaki Ichigo! The ultimate form that will drive despair into the depths of your heart!" laughed Kazuya. "Bankai!"

Ichigo flinched as a cloud of dark green smoke suddenly appeared and obscured Kazuya's body. He could sort of make out Kazuya's silhouette. What he saw greatly disturbed Ichigo. Inside the smoke Kazuya's body began to change shape. A pair of huge wings sprouted from his back, his right hand also became black and bestial in appearance. And finally a pair of white horns sprouted from his forehead. When the smoke dissipated, Ichigo's eyes widened in astonishment as Kazuya emerged.

_No way, he looks just like him_…thought Ichigo. Kazuya's transformed appearance was frightingly to the second released state of Ulquiorra Cifer, the Espada who twice almost succeeded in killing Ichigo and who forced Ichigo to become a monster himself in order to defeat him.

"Surprised Kurosaki Ichigo?" asked Kazuya. He regarded Ichigo with a pair of light green eyes. "This is my Bankai, _Murcielago Segundo Etapa_."

Before Ichigo could react, Kazuya suddenly flash stepped right in front of him. He slashed at Ichigo with his left hand, attempting to strike at his face. Ichigo instinctively raised his sword to block the attack.

"You're wide open," said Kazuya. He thrust his right hand upon Ichigo's chest.

_"Shit!"_ swore Ichigo in his head. Kazuya fired a giant blast of light green energy from his hand. The blast completely engulfed Ichigo at point blank range and streaked through the sky above Karakura Town before disappearing.

"It's over Kurosaki Ichigo," grinned Kazuya. When the residue smoke from the blast cleared Ichigo was still standing upright. Most of his Shihakusho had been blown off, leaving him with only his pants. His whole upper body was covered with burns, and blood was flowing from a nasty abrasion near his stomach region. But to Kazuya's disbelief Ichigo was far from critically injured.

"Impossible! That blast should have all but killed you!" exclaimed Kazuya in a rage.

"Sorry pal, but I've taken far stronger attacks and still managed to survive," said Ichigo. He remembered the moment when he was blasted by Ulquiorra's Cero Oscuras. "I'm far from finished yet. Watch carefully now, for this is my Bankai."

Ichigo crouched down and held his sword out to the side. His body was instantly surrounded by a glowing blue aura of spiritual pressure that was powerful enough to force Kazuya backwards.

_What an incredible reiatsu_, thought Kazuya._ How could he have been hiding so much power? Was he only toying with me this whole time_? Kazuya gnashed his teeth in frustration as he saw Ichigo suddenly thrust his sword forward and grab the pommel with both hands,

"Bankai!" shouted Ichigo. A heavy black cloud of raw spirit energy erupted from Ichigo's body and condensed into the shape of a small moon, nearly forty feet across. Though he couldn't see his opponent,. Kazuya could feel the immense spiritual pressure coming from the black cloud. When the black cloud finally dissipated, Kazuya gasped at what he saw. Ichigo emerged from the cloud, bent down on one knee with his head tilted forward. His tattered black Shihakusho had been replaced by a long sleeved black coat that draped around his torso and went all the way down to his ankles. Ichigo's head was covered by a large black hood that was attached to the black coat at the black. The man-sized cleaver that Ichigo was previously holding was replaced by a sleek four foot long nodachi. The sword's cross guard consisted of four large prongs that resembled an open-ended manji. From the sword's hilt a long chain extended outwards and wrapped around Ichigo's right arm. Finally, as Ichigo raised his head, Kazuya saw that his hair was now black in colour.

Before Kazuya could react, Ichigo suddenly disappeared before his eyes and reappeared behind him a moment later. Then a gash appeared on the side of Kazuya's neck, causing high pressure blood to spurt out. Kazuya clutched his neck and tried to stem the blood flow.

"What kind of Bankai is that? And how did you get behind me?" asked Kazuya in complete astonishment.

"This is _Tensa Zangetsu, Kanzen Tai_," said Ichigo. "You might not have not noticed but my Bankai compresses my spiritual pressure into a super dense state. This compressed state allows me to fight at speeds far in excess of most ordinary Shinigami, Watch, I'll demonstrate some of that speed for you right now." Ichigo proceeded to circle strafe Kazuya using a multitude of flash steps. Each step left behind an after image of himself. Kazuya tried to track Ichigo's movements and attack him but after several missed slashes he resorted to randomly firing energy blasts at him. None of the blasts hit their mark, and had the side effect of creating a lot of smoke that obscured Kazuya's vision. Thus he was unable to see Ichigo approaching behind him until he was suddenly kicked in the head. Kazuya flew backwards for a hundred metres before he could right himself.

"You bastard!" exclaimed Kazuya. "If I can't hit you then I'll simply target the town instead!" He channeled all of his spirit energy into the palms of his hands and created a five foot long glowing light green lance.

"_Lanza del Relampago_," said Kazuya. He gripped the lance with his right hand and pointed it downward. "Try and stop this Kurosaki Ichigo!"

"Stop it Kazuya!" exclaimed Ichigo. It was too late. Kazuya threw the lance as hard as he could at the town below.

_I've got to stop it_, thought Ichigo. He remembered seeing one of these green lances when he was fighting Ulquiorra in his advanced hollow form, and he knew how much devastation they could cause. _If the lance hits the town, it's going to kill every single human being_! In a single flash step Ichigo got himself right below the lance. With a flex of his spiritual pressure Ichigo extended out the edges of his Bankai coat and tilted them up so that they formed a semi-circular shield in front of his body. He then blocked the tip of the green lance with his sword. The lance's tip caused sparks to rise up as it etched the surface of Ichigo's black sword and forced Ichigo downwards.

"Ha, ha, ha, you're trying to stop the lance Kurosaki Ichigo? That's a bonus for me!" laughed Kazuya. "Now I can destroy you and the town in a single strike!"

Ichigo charged spiritual energy into his sword, causing dark red plumes of raw energy to wrap around the blade. With a mighty heave Ichigo pushed the lance backward.

"_Getsuga Tensho_!" shouted Ichigo. A dark red crescent shaped energy blast erupted from the sword. With a swing of his arm, Ichigo used his own blast to redirect the lance into the sky. A second later the lance exploded in a humongous green fireball at least a hundred metres across. As the fireball smoldered in the air, Ichigo stared at a completely shell-shocked Kazuya.

"My _Lanza_…" stuttered Kazuya. "It was stopped…"

"It's over Kazuya. That must have been your most powerful attack," said Ichigo.

"No, that's not possible, I refuse to accept defeat!" shouted Kazuya. He poured the last remaining vestiges of his spiritual energy into another glowing green lance and charged at Ichigo.

_There is no way I am losing. Aizen Taicho ordered me to kill all of his enemies, and I won't rest until I accomplish that task. I'd rather die and take my enemy with me then surrender!_ Ichigo saw Kazuya's mad charge and sighed. He felt sad that Kazuya and the other former fifth division prisoners had been so thoroughly brainwashed to become pawns of whoever was impersonating Aizen.

_He's not my enemy, I have no real grudge against him_, thought Ichigo. _The real enemy is the mastermind of this whole plot_. Ichigo remembered the woman in the red kimono.

"_Do you have the resolve to kill him Ichigo_?" asked Zangetsu's voice in Ichigo's head.

"_I do,_" replied Ichigo with a mental vote. "_I may not hate him but he's too dangerous to be left alive_."

As Kazuya made one final desperate thrust of his lance at Ichigo's head Ichigo cut right through his waist. Kazuya's body was split in half, causing huge amounts of blood to spurt out. The lower half of his body quickly fell to the ground below but Kazuya's upper body remained in the air for a while as he contemplated his defeat. In his last moments Kazuya finally realized the futility of his whole struggle.

"_So it was pointless after all_," thought Kazuya. "_I was nothing more than one of Aizen Taicho's loyal servants. Why should he have cared if I succeeded or failed? My whole life was nothing but a lie_." With those last thoughts Kazuya plummeted to his inevitable death. Ichigo watched his opponent fall from the sky but closed his eyes to avoid seeing Kazuya splatter onto the ground. Though he had killed several opponents in the past before, the feeling of killing a person who he had no grudge against left an uneasy feeling in Ichigo's heart.

Just then Ichigo's Bankai suddenly disappeared, leaving him in a tattered Shihakusho and holding a bare unreleased sword in his hand.

"Looks like I don't have enough energy to maintain Bankai as long as used to," said Ichigo. He flash stepped towards the river.

* * *

Hitsugaya Toshiro opened his eyes in surprise as he neared the centre of the Karakura Memorial Park. Hovering in the sky directly ahead of him was a large white platform and standing in the centre of the platform was the object of his mission.

"Hinamori!" shouted Hitsugaya. When his voice reached her ears Hinamori instantly opened her eyes and stared at him.

"Shiro-chan!" shouted Hinamori. "I'm so glad to see you again!"

"Just wait there Hinamori, I'm going to rescue you right now!" Hitsugaya flash stepped towards Hinamori as fast he could. But as he got within two hundred metres of the platform his path was suddenly blocked by a stranger. This figure wore a light blue Shihakusho but what Hitsugaya focused on was his face; he looked astonishingly like Ichimaru.

"Who are you?" asked Hitsugaya. "You look like Ichimaru!"

"How observant, Captain of the 10th division, Hitsugaya Toshiro," said the man with almost the same accent as Ichimaru had. "I'm Ichimaru-sama's Zanpakuto, Shinso."

"Shinso?" asked Hitsugaya. As soon as he heard the name memories of his fight with Ichimaru and how he almost skewered Hinamori flashed in his head. "What are you doing here? And why is Hinamori captured?"

"Sorry, that is something I can't tell you."

"I figured as much," said Hitsugaya. He unsheathed his sword from its scabbard. "I also figure you're not going to let me pass. So I'll simply kill you right here and rescue Hinamori."

"I am afraid it won't be that easy, little captain." The person called Shinso gave Hitsugaya a creepy smile. "I believe there is someone here you should meet first."

Shinso waved his left hand and a second later a figure appeared that made Hitsugaya gasp in complete shock.

"Matsumoto?" he asked. His lieutenant glared at him with an expression that Hitsugaya found most unusual. It was as if she staring at him with a threatening intent.

"I won't let you harm Shinso-sama, Taicho," said Matsumoto. She pulled out her sword from its scabbard and pointed it at Hitsugaya.

"Then can you at least let me rescue Hinamori?" asked Hinamori.

"No! Shinso-sama told me not to let anyone pass and I will do as he says!" Matsumoto suddenly charged at Hitsugaya with her sword held above her head. Hitsugaya reluctantly blocked the strike.

"Snap out of it Matsumoto! Something's clearly wrong with you!" exclaimed Hinamori.

"There's nothing wrong with me. Shinso-sama is the last link I have with Gin, and I can't afford to lose him. I'd rather die by your sword than watch you kill him!"

_Matsumoto…_ Hitsugaya struggled with his feelings as he fended off Matsumoto's attack. He would have to find a way to snap her out of her current state without seriously hurting her.

* * *

Komamura grunted as a sword forced him backwards for a dozen feet before he halted himself. He glared at his opponent, a man with the head and wings of a cricket and dressed in a black robe. In the corner of his eye Komamura could see two other figures fighting, Kira and a seemingly mind controlled Hisagi.

"Is this the extent of your strength Komamura?" asked the being called Suzumushi. "You don't even compare to Tousen-sama."

* * *

Notes: I apologize for the long delay between updates.

This chapter's main focus is the unveiling of Ichigo and Rukia's Bankais. Rukia's Bankai is similar to the one she had in Bleach: After the War. Its name, _Miko no Shirayuki_ (巫女白雪), means 'maiden of white snow'. Her two attacks, _Shiro Iki _and _Hakuhari _('White Breath' and 'White Needle') replicate the techniques that her Zanpakuto spirit did in the Zanpakuto Strange Tales Arc.

Ichigo's Bankai this time is different to his original Bankai. In order to reflect the complete nature of his Bankai form, I had Ichigo take on more of Tensa Zangetsu's appearance, but with the sword itself resembling the one Ichigo had post Dangai training.


	35. Chapter 35: Friends of Tousen

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 35 Friends of Tousen

"I don't compare to Tousen?" asked Komamura. "What do you mean?"

"Do I need to repeat myself again? I said, you don't compare to Tousen-sama at all," said Suzumushi. "Not just in terms of strength but also in character. I still do not get how someone like Tousen-sama, who had such a strong heart, needed to die, yet a worthless being like you still gets to live!"

"You want revenge against me because you think I was the one responsible for killing him," said Komamura in a blunt fashion. "That's completely understandable. I too regret that Tousen died in such a horrible fashion. But you've gone too far Suzumushi-san. If you simply wanted revenge against me, why did you kidnap and brainwash Hisagi?" Suzumushi was silent for a moment but then a large grin appeared on his face.

"It should be obvious to you why I targeted Hisagi-san. He too is culpable in Tousen-sama's death, even more so than you. But I wanted to make him suffer first before I killed him." Suzumushi started laughing madly. As he did so, a feeling of anger swelled up in Komamura's heart.

"So brainwashing Hisagi was but a ploy to make him suffer before you killed him? That's utterly despicable. You said I was worthless compared to Tousen, but you're even more worthless than I am." Komamura gripped his sword with both hands. "If you insist on using such callous methods to achieve your aims then I am afraid I must stop you at all costs, even if that means killing you."

"Bring it on then Komamura! Just try to kill me!" shouted Suzumushi. He charged at Komamura and slashed at his head. Komamura blocked the attack with his sword and retaliated by making a punching motion with his left fist. Due to his Zanpakuto _Tenken_'s ability, a giant disembodied left hand appeared and punched Suzumushi hard in the face. The Zanpakuto was sent flying backwards twenty metres before he righted himself. Then with a bestial, insect like howl, Suzumushi charged at Komamura again.

* * *

A short distance away from where Komamura and Suzumushi were fighting, Kira and Hisagi were locked in a decidedly one-way battle. For more than ten minutes the two of them had been fighting, but for all that time the one on the offensive was Hisagi. Reluctant to hurt his comrade, Kira chose to defend himself against Hisagi's increasingly vicious attacks.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Kira as one of Hisagi's _Kazeshini_ blades passed dangerously close to his face. It required a split second dodge from Kira just to avoid being sliced. He flipped backwards and landed on his feet.

"What's the matter Izuru?" asked Hisagi. He retracted the blade and was swinging the other blade above his head. "Are you afraid of hurting me? Is that why you're so hesitant? These blades here are thirsting for your blood!" Hisagi swung his left arm forward and through the left spinning blade at Kira. Kira jumped up to dodge the blade. He pointed his left index finger at Hisagi.

"Bakudo 63 _Sajo Sabaku_!" shouted Kira. A second later Hisagi's arms and torso were bound by numerous gold coloured spirit chains, immobilizing his entire body and causing the two ends of his released Zanpakuto to hang loosely from his hands. Hisagi tried to break free but the binding chains were too strong.

"You don't want to fight me Izuru?" screamed Hisagi. Kira nodded.

"Of course. I have no wish to fight you to the death Shuhei-san, because you are one of my nakama," said Kira. "I know that you are not acting like your true self right now. That is why I'm going to make you return to your real self."

"You must be joking! I am my real self right now!" laughed Hisagi. "And my real self desires to see you ripped to pieces!" With a scream and a sudden surge in his spiritual pressure Hisagi broke out of the binding chains, causing Kira to gasp in shock.

"That is a nice face Izuru. I bet you are surprised that I could break free of your Bakudo," said Hisagi. "I'm going to show you something even more surprising. Bankai."

The two blades of _Kazeshini_ broke free of the chain that linked them together and started spinning by themselves. Soon the blades were spinning so fast that they resembled a pair of black discs, and the friction generated by their rotation created two miniature tornadoes to form around the discs. With a wave of his arms Hisagi moved the two discs towards his body.

"This is my Bankai, _Daikado Kazeshini_," said Hisagi. He thrust his right arm forward, causing one of the spinning discs to fly towards Kira at an incredible speed. Kira barely managed to summon his Shikai _Wabisuke_ and block the spinning disc. As his blade met the edge of the disc the disc's rotation slowed, as repeated contact with _Wabisuke_ increased the mass of the disc. However, Kira wasn't able to slow the disc's rotation enough to stop it completely and was gradually forced backwards. His arms were shredded numerous times from the razor sharp wind that was being generated by the discs.

"It is over Izuru! For the sake of Tousen Taicho I will use the Bankai I have obtained to kill you!" shouted Hisagi. He thrust his left arm forward, sending the other spinning disc flying at Kira. _Shit I can't stop the second one_, thought Kira, as he saw the disc coming at him. _I have to do something_. Unable to defeat Hisagi by force, Kira's only option was to convert him through words.

"Snap out of it Shuhei-san! Captain Tousen is dead!" yelled Kira. "The one who is controlling you is a fake! He's controlling you to make us kill each other!" Kira closed his eyes and waited for the second spinning disc to slice through his neck. But just as the disc was within an inch of his neck, it suddenly stopped in its tracks. Kira opened his eyes and saw the discs retract back. He then saw Hisagi's face; he no longer had the bloodshot eyes or the murderous grin. Instead he conveyed a sense of confusion and guilt.

"What happened to me Izuru? Were we fighting each other?" asked Hisagi.

"We were Shuhei-san. You were somehow under the mind control of that black hooded guy, the one who is using Captain Tousen's powers," said Kira.

"Damn it!" swore Hisagi. He slapped his face with both hands. "I'm a fool for letting myself get controlled like that. I must have caused you a great deal of pain."

"Don't worry about it Shuhei-san. It's not your fault that you were mind controlled and besides you managed to break free from it. Instead of thinking of being angry at yourself, you should take your anger out on that black hooded guy. He's currently fighting Captain Komamura." Hisagi turned his head and saw two figures flashing nearby. One was indeed Captain Komamura, and the other was a strange looking guy with an insect's head and a black cloak. Hisagi remembered seeing him when he had been abducted from Seireitei during the uprising. _I recognise him; he looks like Tousen Taicho's Zanpakuto, Suzumushi_, thought Hisagi.

"Izuru san, I'm going to help Captain Komamura. He appears to be losing at the moment," said Hisagi.

"Go ahead. I'm going to aid Captain Hitsugaya in rescuing Hinamori-chan. Take care of yourself," said Kira.

"You too." Hisagi watched as Kira flash stepped away. "Alright, it's time for some payback."

* * *

"_Tenken_!" shouted Komamura. He swung his sword in a downward arc. This caused a giant spectral hand holding a giant version of his sword to swing down at Suzumushi at the exact same moment. Suzumushi jumped up to avoid the giant blade, which chopped right through a four storey building in an instant.

"Do you really think you could hit me with such a slow attack?" asked Suzumushi. "Take this, _Nishiki Benihiko_!" The blade of his sword started vibrating and when Suzumushi moved it around his body in a circle, a trail of nearly a hundred spectral blades formed in its wake. With another horizontal swing Suzumushi caused the hundred blades to fly at Komamura. Komamura summoned up a giant spectral hand in an attempt to protect himself. The majority of the blades hit the giant hand but numerous blades managed to penetrate through and pelt Komamura. Soon Komamura's body was covered with lacerations. Blood flowed from his face all the way down to his feet.

"Now for the finisher!" shouted Suzumushi. He was about to initiate another _Benihiko_ attack when all of a sudden his right arm was restrained by a chain. Suzumushi turned around and saw that that the chain belonged to Hisagi's Zanpakuto. Hisagi gripped the chain tightly and pulled Suzumushi towards him.

"Impossible! How did you break free of that mind control?" asked Suzumushi in disbelief.

"You want to know how I did it? All I did was to reassert my independent will. It took you multiple doses just to overcome my free will in the first place, so you shouldn't be surprised that its effects wore off," said Hisagi. "I'm ashamed that I let myself be used by you in the first place. Captain Komamura, I want to help you fight this guy."

"You're welcome," said Komamura. "I'm glad that you regained control just in time. Had you not intervened I might have been trouble. Now then, let's begin our counter attack." Komamura charged at Suzumushi while the Zanpakuto's hand was still restrained by Hisagi. He thrust his sword to strike at Suzumushi's chest. But before he could penetrate Suzumushi grabbed hold of the blade's edge of his left hand. Though the blade pierced his hand, Suzumushi nevertheless managed to divert Komamura's attack.

"To think that I would have to fight both of Tousen-sama's killers at once, how annoying," said Suzumushi. He glared at Hisagi and spoke the word 'cry'. His blade vibrated, producing a high pitched tone that hurt Hisagi and Komamura's ears, and also freed Suzumushi's blade from Hisagi's chain.

"I shall take my time to make you suffer Hisagi-kun," said Suzumushi. "But first, I must kill Komamura with extreme prejudice." The Zanpakuto flash stepped right beside Komamura. Before Komamura could back away, Suzumushi placed his left palm against his sword's circular cross guard.

"Bankai," said Suzumushi. The ring began to spin as Suzumushi's reiatsu increased. As it spun it grew in size until it was large enough to encircle Suzumushi. The ring then split into ten rings of equal size. With a horizontal sweeping motion of his sword, Suzumushi directed the ten rings to encircle himself and Komamura. When the rings were in position they started generating a black void that swelled up to encompass an entire five storey building, eventually forming a dome nearly a hundred metres wide. The dome was anchored to the streets below by strings hanging off each of the ten rings.

"Oh no, Captain Komamura's trapped inside!" exclaimed Hisagi. He knew full well the power of this Bankai; even Shinigami of captain level could seldom cope with having all of their senses stripped away. Hisagi tried slashing at the dome in order to break it, but the dome's material was seemingly impenetrable.

Inside the dome, the Bankai's ability had already gotten to Komamura. He stumbled around, unable to see, hear, or detect spiritual pressure. Though he was familiar with Tousen's Bankai, this was the first time he had ever been subject to it.

_Crap, I should have never let myself get trapped inside here_, thought Komamura. _Now I know how Kenpachi felt when he fought Tousen_. He stumbled around the rooftop of the building, gripping his sword with both hands.

"You're mine now Komamura," said Suzumushi. "It is impossible to fight without the use of your senses. I'm not as foolish as my master was. I won't let you a chance to fight back." In a single flash step, Suzumushi blitzed past Komamura, slicing across his neck. Komamura gasped as blood spurted from the wound, before he fell over unconscious.

Suzumushi checked Komamura's pulse and was pleased to see there was none. _I have killed him_, thought Suzumushi smugly. He decided to end his Bankai. As the giant black dome slowly disappeared, Hisagi, who had been standing outside, could finally see what was going on. When he saw Komamura lying motionless on the top floor of the building, Hisagi panicked. _No, don't tell me Captain Komamura is_…

"What is that face for Shuhei-kun?" asked Suzumushi. "As you can see, Komamura has been slain by my hand."

"You bastard!" exclaimed Hisagi. "I'll avenge Captain Komamura's death. You're not Tousen Taicho, so I have no hesitation to kill you!"

"Those are strong words Shuhei-kun. You would never had said them in front of Tousen-sama. Have you forgotten all the lessons he taught you?"

"Of course I haven't. Tousen Taicho's teachings are with me every time I battle. But the only Tousen Taicho I remember is the one who was the wise and honourable captain. I've tried hard to forget the despicable being that he eventually became. In order to crush that memory I vowed to surpass Tousen Taicho in strength. And now, the chance has finally arrived for me to show how far I've come. Bankai!"

Hisagi's Zanpakuto's once again transformed into a pair of high velocity spinning discs that generated gusts of air resembling miniature tornadoes. Suzumushi raised an eyebrow.

"So you managed to achieve Bankai in these six years since Tousen-sama's death," said Suzumushi. "I am quite impressed, but I am afraid you are no match for me."

"Oh yeah? We'll see about that!" Hisagi thrust both of his spinning discs forward, as Suzumushi raised his sword and charged at him.

As the two began their clash in the sky, neither of them was aware that Komamura was still alive. His spirit was fading rapidly, but he was still conscious. His eyes were closed but he could feel the clash of spiritual pressures as Hisagi fought against Tousen.

"_Are you going to let Hisagi-kun fight on his own?_" asked Komamura's Zanpakuto Tenken in his mind. "_You know that Hisagi stands no chance against Suzumushi_." Komamura didn't respond but he knew that Tengen was right.

"_You could have broken free of Suzumushi's Bankai if you had released my Bankai. Why didn't you? Were you still hesitant to fight him because of your feelings for Tousen?_" Komamura pondered his Zanpakuto's words. At this moment, memories of his last fight against Tousen flashed through his mind. He remembered being overwhelmed by the hollowfied Tousen's ultimate move, having a hole blown through his Bankai's torso and in consequence his torso, and he remembered staring up as Tousen prepared to finish him.

_I couldn't bring myself to fight against Tousen at full power back then. It almost cost me my life. I can't believe it's happened to me again. Maybe I'm still hamstrung by my feelings for Tousen. Whatever it is, Tenken is right, I can't afford to let Hisagi fight on his own. A small wound like this isn't going to kill me!_

From sheer willpower alone Komamura heaved himself onto his feet, despite blood still flowing down the side of his neck. He glanced at the sky and saw that Hisagi was getting dominated. The two spinning discs he wielded were mere Frisbees against Suzumushi, who easily batted them aside as he slashed at Hisagi numerous times. The final attack cut a massive diagonal gash across Hisagi's torso, causing a burst of blood to spray out. Barely able to stand, Hisagi tried one last desperate attack, willing his spinning discs to fly at Suzumushi's head. Suzumushi easily blocked the discs with his sword.

"Just as I thought," said Suzumushi. "Your Bankai is both immature and undeveloped. You can't fully control its movements yet. Did you really think you stood a chance against me? If this is your final attack then I am disappointed. You haven't improved much at all." Suzumushi batted away the discs and flash stepped in front of Hisagi. He raised his sword above his head and said the words "this is the end".

Just as Suzumushi was about to bring his sword down on Hisagi's head, Komamura suddenly appeared behind him. The dog-faced captain quickly shouted out "Bankai!" and summoned up an enormous armoured giant over a hundred metres tall. With a downward swing of his sword, Komamura caused his giant samurai warrior to swing its massively oversized sword down upon Suzumushi's head. The giant blade smashed Suzumushi into the streets below, creating a ten metre wide crater.

"Are you okay Hisagi?" asked Komamura.

"I am. Thanks for saving me Captain Komamura," said Hisagi. "I thought Tousen Taicho's Zanpakuto had killed you."

"He came close to doing so, but I managed to regain consciousness just in time."

"Did you kill him with that attack then?"  
"Probably. Even if he isn't dead, he's bound to be in such a mangled state that it would be easy finish him off." As soon as Komamura finished those words, his giant's sword was suddenly blasted in the air. This caused Komamura's arm to be jerked upwards as a result of his Bankai's damage transfer effect.

"Who is in such a mangled state?" asked a voice that sounded guttural and insect like. Komamura and Hisagi both stared at the crater. They saw figure emerge from the smoke. It was Suzumushi. Komamura's Bankai attack had destroyed the robes he had worn and ripped a chunk out of his head, but the Zanpakuto was still alive. With his clothes gone, Suzumushi looked like a mutant cross between a cricket and a man.

"Did you really think you could kill me with your Bankai, Komamura?" screamed Suzumushi. "You should know better than that! For the sake of Tousen-sama, I shall crush you to pieces in my most powerful form!" Komamura and Hisagi looked on with horrified faces as Suzumushi proceeded to transform. He became more insect like in appearance, shedding all semblance of his humanity. When he finished his transformation, he resembled a gigantic black fly, the same form that Tousen had assumed prior to his death.

"_Suzumushi Hiyakushiki_, _Grillar Grillo_," said the grotesque creature. Before Komamura and Hisagi could react, the transformed Suzumushi attacked. With a single swing of one of his long insect like arms, he batted Hisagi into another building.

"Hisagi!" shouted Komamura. He motioned his giant armoured warrior to slash its sword at Suzumushi's head. The fly monster easily blocked the blade with another one of his claw-like hands. Suzumushi then charged a pair of linked green-coloured energy blasts from his bug-like eyes. Komamura recognised the attack but he was unable to dodge it. The blasts struck his giant armoured warrior through the chest. At the same moment, two holes appeared in Komamura's chest, narrowly missing his heart or his soul chain and booster. The attack nevertheless caused Komamura's Bankai to topple onto its back, demolishing five nearby high-rise buildings in the process. Komamura was down on one knee and panting heavily. He gnashed his teeth as he saw Suzumushi stomp towards him.

_I can't let myself be defeated again. Not here. It's not just because of Tousen's memory. If I fall here, Karakura Town and Soul Society itself will be in danger_, thought Komamura.

"_Then what are you going to do, master_?" asked Tenken in his head.

"_I think the time has come to repay my debt to Genryusai-san_," said Komamura.

"_What do you mean_?"

"_Genryusai-san saved my life. He took me in and raised me when no one else would, when the whole shunned my existence. If it weren't for him I wouldn't even be alive right now. I've been honoured to serve the Gotei 13 for these last few hundred years, but now it is time for me to give back everything that Genryusai has done for me_," said Komamura in his mind.

"_Master, are you implying that is this is our last ever battle?_" asked Tenken.

"_I am afraid so. You've been a great companion Tenken. I am glad to have you as my Zanpakuto._"

"_I am grateful for having you as my master too_. _If this is indeed our last battle together, then we should go out in style._"

"_That's what I was planning on. Lend me your power Tenken_. _Lend me every bit of it. We shall fuse our souls together to achieve a state that surpasses a normal Shinigami_."

"_Alright then Master. I shall give you give you all of my power_…" At that moment, a bright yellow aura surrounded Komamura's body. His giant armored warrior disintegrated and returned to Komamura. But instead of being sealed back into his sword, the essence of the giant armored warrior surrounded Komamura's body. An amazed Suzumushi looked on in astonishment as pieced of armor formed around Komamura and covered his body. When his body was completely covered in armor, Komamura resembled a man-sized version of his Bankai's giant samurai warrior. The only difference was his helmet, as the front of the helmet had a faceplate shaped like a dog's nose, and his eyes were covered by an orange coloured visor. The sword he was holding in his right hand was now covered by a glowing yellow spiritual aura.

"What, what is that form?" asked Suzumushi. "I've never seen something like that before!"

"_Saigo no Tengen Myo'o_," said Komamura. "This is my ultimate state, when my soul has fused with my Zanpakuto. It allows me to fight at a level that surpasses the limits of my Shinigami self. I've never thought about doing it until now. Get ready Suzumushi, for I am going to crush you with all of my power."

"Ha! Just try to crush if you can!" yelled Suzumushi. The fly monster flew towards the armored Komamura with his claws stretched out. Komamura took a single step before he suddenly flash stepped past Suzumushi. A split second later both pairs of wings on Suzumushi's right side were cut off.

"How dare you cut off my wings like that!" screamed Suzumushi. He turned around and lashed at Komamura again. But Komamura swung his charged up sword and sliced off one of Suzumushi's left arms along with the left horn that protruded from his back. Suzumushi screamed in pain as a torrent of blade blood spurted out. A few moments later his left horn, his arm and even his wings started regenerating until they were fully restored. _Instant regeneration huh_, thought Komamura.

"There is no way I am losing to you Komamura! Take this!" shouted Suzumushi. He drew nine green coloured circles in the air with his arms. "_Los Nueve Aspectos_!" He fired a barrage of green-coloured concentrated waves of sound at Komamura. Komamura took the attack head on and to Suzumushi's utter shock, the waves of sound barely made a dent in Komamura's armor as they dissipated out.

"Impossible! That was my strongest attack! How could you have survived without a single scratch?" asked Suzumushi in disbelief.

"Are you that surprised that your move didn't work on me? I guess you still don't comprehend the difference in our powers," said Komamura. "Well, I have no wish to drag out this battle any longer. This is the end, Suzumushi. With this, I shall finally put Tousen's memory to rest." Komamura charged all of his spiritual energy into his sword, causing the blade to turn into a shining mass of light.

"_Tenken_!" shouted Komamura as he landed a massive strike at Suzumushi. The glowing sword sliced Suzumushi in half and then engulfed both halves in yellow flames. What was left of Suzumushi shrieked in agony as every piece of his body was slowly burnt to ashes.

"It is finished," said Komamura. The armour that had covered his body slowly disintegrated, leaving him with a tattered Shihakusho. A few seconds later, Komamura saw Hisagi leap from the ruins of the building he had crashed into. He was covered with blood and his clothes were also ripped to pieces but he was still alive.

"Captain Komamura, did you kill him?" asked Hisagi. Komamura nodded. An instant later Komamura's entire body convulsed with pain before numerous wounds opened, causing a huge amount of blood to spurt out. _This must be the after effects of using that form_, thought Komamura as he plummeted to the ground.

"Captain Komamura!" shouted Hisagi, who dived after him.

_I guess this is the end of my time as a Shinigami_ thought Komamura. That was his last thought before he lost consciousness and landed on the streets below.

* * *

Whilst the battle in Karakura Town raged on, the remaining captains in Soul Society were trying their best to run the Gotei 13 and maintain order in Seireitei. For the acting Captain Commander Kyoraku Shunsui, it was already hard enough trying to micromanage the multiple divisions that were currently without captains or lieutenants. His task was not made easier when his lieutenant Sasakibe Chojiro entered his office with some unexpected news.

"Kyoraku Sotaicho! There is an important person who wants to see you!" exclaimed Sasakibe.

"An important person? Who could it be?" asked Shunsui. He got up from his desk and walked to the door. When he got there his eyes widened in astonishment. Standing in the doorway was the true Captain Commander himself, Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, dressed in his Shihakusho and white haori.

"Yamaji-san, I didn't know you had returned. Did Shinji and his gang find you?" asked Shunsui. Yamamoto shook his head.

"I came back by myself, when I heard about the prisoner uprising," said Yamamoto.

"I see. Well, I am glad that you are back. We have so much to catch up on."

"We can save the pleasantries for later. Right now there is a more pressing issue. I know what is going on in Karakura Town right now. A group of rebels is trying to create an Ouken, is that correct?" asked Yamamoto.

"Yes. I've sent Captains Hitsugaya and Komamura along with our most powerful lieutenants on a mission to stop them," said Shunsui.

"That is all well and good. But what about the original Ouken? Is it still safe?"

"What do you mean?" Shunsui was confused by Yamamoto's words.

"I am asking you if someone has attempted to steal the real Ouken."

"Of course not. The only two people who know of the Ouken's location are you and me. I've kept to my vow of not telling anyone else about it, not even Retsu-san or Jushiro. I assure you that no one has attempted to steal the Ouken. If they have, I would have known about it."

"Normally I would believe you, but in such a critical situation it is better to be extra cautious. I want you to take me to the Ouken's location so I can see for myself."

"Alright then, I'll show you it," said Shunsui. He didn't want to get into a pointless argument with his sensei. After ordering lieutenant Sasakibe to leave the office, Shunsui led Yamamoto to the private study room after accessing the secret entrance in the wall behind the desk. Shunsui went to one of the bookshelves and pulled out a book. This caused the floor in a semi-circular arc around the bookshelf to move as the entire section of the wall rotated a hundred and eighty degrees. When it finished rotating, Shunsui and Yamamoto found themselves in a small square-shaped room. The room's defining feature was a large white spiritual circle in the centre. There was a symbol inside the circle that resembled an eight pointed star.

"This is the teleporter to the Heart of Seireitei," said Shunsui. "That is where the Ouken is located. No one has ever stepped onto it since you showed it to me when you passed on the rank of Sotaicho to me. Do you want me to take you there?"

"There is no need. I am satisfied that the Ouken is still safe," said Yamamoto. "There is just one final question; can you remind me how the teleporter works? My memory has gotten worse lately."

"Huh, how could you forget such a simple command? All you need to do is to stand on the teleporter and say '_Kokoro no Seirei_' and it will transport you," said Shunsui. The two of them returned to the private study room.

"Thank you for doing me this favour, Shunsui. I am in your debt. Now I must leave again," said Yamamoto.

"Where are you going?" asked Shunsui

"To hunt down the 'Doomwalker'. I will return as soon as that task is finished. Until then, take care of Seireitei for me." Shunsui watched as Yamamoto left the first division captain's office. For some reason he couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right with Yamamoto. _Maybe I'm just over thinking such a matter, _thought Shunsui.

Shunsui's feelings about Yamamoto weren't far off the mark, for as soon as the former Captain Commander ducked down a side alley where no one was about, 'he' transformed into a woman with black hair and a red kimono.

"At last, the Ouken is mine," said Kyoka Suigetsu.

* * *

Notes: Komamura and Hisagi are the central characters in this chapter. I tried my best to make their fight with Suzumushi even more epic than their fight against Tousen was in the manga.

Hisagi's Bankai, _Daikado Kazeshini _(大渦動風死)-'Great Vortex Wind Death', is a natural evolution of his Zanpakuto's Shikai form. It's a demonstraton of the results of his training.

Komamura's ultimate state, _Saigo no Tengen Myoo- '_The Final Divine Punishment of Vidya-raja', is very similar to Ichigo's Final Getsuga Tenshou state. Like the Final Getsuga, Komamura will lose all of his Shinigami powers after he uses it. The concept behind this ultimate state will be a key plot point later on in the story. Since I intended this to be Komamura's last battle, I wanted him to go out in a much better way than he did against Tousen and Aizen in the manga.


	36. Chapter 36: The Shattered Glaciers

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

Chapter 36 The Shattered Glaciers

"_Haineko_!" shouted Matsumoto. Still under the influence of a mind-altering substance, the brainwashed Matsumoto continued to attack her captain Hitsugaya. Unwilling to harm his long time lieutenant, Hitsugaya could only defend against Matsumoto's attacks. He cursed both himself and the Zanpakuto spirit Shinso for getting stuck in a pointless fight whilst with every the ceremony for the creation of the Ouken neared its completion.

"Snap out of it Matsumoto!" shouted Hitsugaya. His plea didn't get through. Instead his left arm was surrounded by _Haineko_'s ash. Matsumoto tilted the pommel of her sword and caused multiple cuts along Hitsugaya's arm. Hitsugaya flash stepped backwards to escape the ash but Matsumoto swung the pommel of her sword, directing the ash to surround Hitsugaya's entire body.

"Cut, _Haineko_," said Matsumoto. With another swing of the pommel she caused multiple cuts to appear all over Hitsugaya's body. _Damn it, at this rate I'm going to lose, _thought Hitsugaya. _If I lose here, Hinamori-chan, my nakama and everyone in Karakura Town will die_!

"Listen to me Matsumoto!" shouted Hitsugaya. "You've been brainwashed by Shinso! He's using your love for Gin to control you!" His plea was answered with another torrent of ash.

"_Shit, talking sense to her is useless," _said Hitsugaya to himself. "_At this rate I might have to kill her. What am I supposed to do?_"

"Die Hitsugaya Taicho!" yelled Matsumoto. She surrounded Hitsugaya with ash and was about to slice him when someone grabbed her right hand. Hitsugaya's eyes widened when he saw who it was.

"Kira! Why are you here?" he asked. "I thought you were fighting with Hisagi."

"Shuhei-san snapped out of his mind control and told me to come here whilst he fought alongside Captain Komamura," said Kira. "I see you're having trouble dealing with Rangiku-san. Let me fight her instead. You've got a bigger enemy to deal with." Kira pointed to the floating altar, and the figure hovering beside the altar, the Zanpakuto Shinso.

"Alright, I leave Matsumoto to you. Just try not to hurt her too much," said Hitsugaya.

"I won't Captain Hitsugaya. I'll make sure to free her from the brainwashing.," said Kira.

With that Kira faced off against Matsumoto while Hitsugaya headed toward the ritual platform as fast as he could. Matsumoto tried to chase after him but Kira cast a Bakudo 4 _Hainawa_ and restrained her left arm.

"Your opponent is me now, Rangiku-san," said Kira. Matsumoto broke free of the Kido and stared at Kira. Her face was full of anger.

"Don't get in my way Izuru! My only target is Hitsugaya Taicho!" shouted Matsumoto.

"You intend to kill your own captain? Then I'm sorry Rangiku-san, I'll have to stop you here," said Kira. He unsheathed his sword and instantly released it into its Shikai form without chanting its name.

"Fine then, I'll kill you first and then I'll kill Hitsugaya Taicho! _Haineko_!" Matsumoto swung the pommel of her sword, sending a stream of ash at Kira. Kira held his sword in front of his body and spun it around. As he did so he chanted the words "Hado 58 _Tenran_". A tornado-like blast of wind shot out from Kira's blade. It blew the ash back towards Matsumoto.

"You think a Kido like that is going to stop me?" shouted Matsumoto. "I have complete control over _Haineko_'s ash!" With another swing of her sword's pommel she sent the ash at Kira again.

"Geez, it's a pain trying to deal with that ash," said Kira. "I promised Captain Hitsugaya not to hurt you too much, so I can't use high level destruction chants upon you. And my Shikai can only be used at short range. Oh well, I guess there's no helping it. I'm going to have to use my trump card." Kira got down on one knee and held his sword by his side. He then said the word "Bankai".

A yellow spiritual aura surrounded Kira's body and a large white stone tablet materialized behind Kira's back, strapped to his body by a set of chains. A large black-coloured metal ball, nearly two feet wide, materialized, attached to Kira's left hand by a chain. Kira carried the metal ball upon his left shoulder.

"_Tenbutsu no Wabisuke_," said Kira.

"I didn't you had achieved Bankai," said Matsumoto.

"Of course not. This is the first time I've shown this to anyone. I've trained long and hard in order to obtain it. My goal is to one day to surpass former Captain Ichimaru."

"You intend to surpass Gin? What a preposterous goal."

"At least I have a goal. What about you? Are you still obsessing over your memories of Ichimaru-san? He was a great man, but it's been six years since he died. It's time to move on Rangiku-san."

"How dare you say those words to me?" screamed Matsumoto. She surrounded Kira with _Haineko_'s ash. "You will never understand my love for Gin!"

Just as Matsumoto was about to swing the pommel of her sword in an attempt to cut Kira's body, all of the ash particles suddenly plummeted towards the ground. Matsumoto was stunned.

"What did you do to my _Haineko_?" asked Matsumoto.

"I simply made it heaver," said Kira.

"Heavier? What do you mean?"

"I guess I should tell you my Bankai's ability. My Bankai allows me to control gravity in a two metre radius sphere around my body. Any object that enters this sphere will be subject to my Bankai's spiritual pressure. By changing the gravity that's being exerted upon an object I can make it lighter or heavier. I can make anything that enters my sphere as heavy as I want to. That includes spiritual beings like yourself."

Before Matsumoto could react, Kira flash stepped in front of her. A few seconds later a crushing weight suddenly descended upon Matsumoto. She fell onto her hands and knees and panted heavily, as she became subject to Kira's Bankai's ability.

"I.,..can't…move," stuttered Matsumoto. Kira held his sword over Matsumoto's head, with the blunt end facing downwards.

"I'm sorry I have to do this Rangiku-san, but this is the only way to knock some sense into you," said Kira. With that, he hit Matsumoto in the end with the blunt end of his sword. Matsumoto's eyes returned to their original colour for a few seconds before they went blank as she lost consciousness. Unable to maintain her aerial levitation, she started falling towards the ground. Kira returned his Zanpakuto to its sealed form and caught Matsumoto in his arms. He landed on the street below and placed Matsumoto onto her back.

_Alright, when Rangiku-san wakes up, she'll be back to normal_, thought Kira. He looked towards the direction of the floating platform, which was giving up an eerie red right. _Everything's up to you now Captain Hitsugaya._

_

* * *

_

Hitsugaya sensed the outcome of Kira and Matsumoto's battle, and was relieved that his lieutenant had returned to normal. _Alright then, all I have to do is rescue Hinamori and stop the ritual_. He flew towards the floating white platform as fast as he could.

"Shiro-chan!" yelled Hinamori as she saw him approach.

"Just wait a little longer Hinamori! I'll get you out of there in no time!" exclaimed Hitsugaya. He reached the white platform was about to step onto it when he saw the tip of a blade suddenly fly at his face. Hitsugaya barely managed to avoid being stabbed in the eye, and as he did a backflip and landed several feet away from the platform, a cut appeared across the left side of his cheek. When he saw who the blade belonged to, a feeling of rage built up in Hitsugaya's heart.

"This won't do Captain Hitsugaya," said Shinso. "I can't have you rescuing little Hinamori-chan that easily. If you want to free her you've got to get past me."

"I'm fine with that. In fact, I was planning on killing you anyway," said Hitsugaya. "For hurting Hinamori and brainwashing Matsumoto, you deserve to die!" Hitsugaya shouted "Bankai" before charging at Shinso, his ice wings, ice tail, and ice claws forming over his body in a few seconds. Shinso thrust his sword out at Hitsugaya again but the white-haired captain easily dodged the blade.

"I won't give you any time to use your sword's ability, Shinso!" shouted Hitsugaya. From the tip of his blade he created more than two dozen icicles. He then shouted the words "_Guncho Tsurara_!" and fired all of the icicles at Shinso. The sly-faced Zanpakuto easily dodged the icicles, but the attack turned out to be a mere diversion to allow Hitsugaya to flash step to within melee range.

"_Hyoryu Senbi_!" shouted Hitsugaya. He swung his sword in a horizontal arc. As he did so a trail of water and ice emerged from the tip of his blade. Shinso jumped into the air to avoid being caught by the crescent shaped ice formation.

"I'm not done yet. _Hyoryu Senbi, Zekku_!" Hitsugaya swung his sword in an upward arc, causing the trail of water and ice to shoot upwards at Shinso at rapid speed.

"Oh my," said Shinso as his feet were frozen. Hitsugaya leaped up to be on the same plane as Shinso. Hitsugaya then held his sword outward, pointing it at Shinso's head.

"It is over, Shinso," said Hitsugaya. Shinso's eyes widened in surprise when a series of immense ice pillars, each one thirty metres at least in height, appeared in quick succession. They eventually encircled Shinso.

"_Sennen Hyoro_," said Hitsugaya. With a ninety degree rotation of his blade, Hitsugaya caused the pillars to fly inward and form a solid block of ice. In the process, Shinso was trapped and encase in the ice, with no possible way to escape. _Even if the ice prison doesn't kill him, it will keep him trapped for a sufficient amount of time for me to free Hinamori_, thought Hitsugaya. He flew down towards the floating platform, but just as he was about to reach Hinamori, the giant ice prison he had made suddenly burst outward, sending millions of particles of ice scattering in all direction. Hitsugaya looked up and saw that Shinso had managed to break free.

"No way! How could he have shattered the _Sennen Hyoro_ so easily?" Hitsugaya said to himself. He turned around and faced Shinso again as the Zanpakuto descended from the sky above.

"Well, well, little captain, it seems you didn't quite manage to finish me off," said Shinso. "Did you seriously think I couldn't break from that ice prison? You were careless in not giving me the finishing strike. Now I have an opportunity to show you my true powers."

"Your true powers?" asked Hitsugaya.

"I know you and Ichimaru-sama fought once before, but you've never witnessed my master's Bankai have you? Well, I am going to show you it. Get ready, little captain, and try not to die in one hit." At this moment, Shinso fully opened his eyelids, revealing to Hitsugaya a pair of yellow, snake-like eyes.

_Ichimaru's Bankai?_ _I remember hearing about it once before, but I've never seen it in action,_ thought Hitsugaya. _I'd better be cautious just in case_.

"Bankai, _Kamishini no yari_," said Shinso. Initially, there wasn't a noticeable change in Shinso's outward appeared or reiatsu level, so Hitsugaya wondered if he had even released his Bankai at all. This caused Hitsugaya to lower his guard for a brief moment, which was almost fatal, for Shino's blade suddenly thrust outwards and an instant later Hitsugaya was seemingly sliced in half, severed from the waist.

"What the-?" asked Hitsugaya as he saw his legs fall to the ground below. Copious amounts of blood and entrails flowed from the bottom of his torso. The blade that had cut him in half extended for more than thirteen kilometers across the sky.

"Such a disappointment, little captain," said Shinso, as he withdrew his sword. "I told you not to die in one hit." Just then a blade swung at Shinso's forehead. The Zanpakuto narrowly dodged the attack and flash stepped backwards. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw it was Hitsugaya, completely unharmed.

"I thought I severed you in half," said Shinso.

"What you severed was my ice clone," said Hitsugaya. He pointed to the 'Hitsugaya' that had supposedly been cut in half. The two halves of his body turned from flesh blood into solid and ice and crumbled into tiny pieces. "I can only prep my ice clone once per battle. It was a good thing that I did, for now I know about your Bankai's ability. Your Bankai allows you to extent your sword outwards for a length of several kilometers. The speed at which the sword extends and retracts it so fast that it appears almost instantaneous. Am I correct in that description?"

"Heh, heh, you are quite observant, little captain," chuckled Shinso. "No wonder you are called the child tensai. To be able to deduce my Bankai's abilities after seeing it only once. But, just knowing how my Bankai works will not get you anywhere. I've barely begun to show you the true extent of my powers." Shinso held his short sword with both hands horizontally in front of his chest. Hitsugaya was perplexed by that unusual stance.

"_Kamishini no yari, Buto_," said Shinso. His sword shot outwards at supersonic speeds. Hitsugaya barely managed to fold his ice wings to cover the front of his body before Shinso's sword hit him. Though the blade did not penetrate his ice wings, the velocity and force behind the attack caused Hitsugaya's bones to rattle. _What power,_ thought Hitsugaya. Shinso retracted his sword as quickly as he had thrust it outwards.

"Oh, I'm surprised you were able to block that attack, little captain," said Shinso. "But I wonder if you can withstand my next attack. _Kamishini no yari, Buto Renjin_."

Shinso's sword started extending and retracting numerous times at speeds well in excess of the speed of the sound, creating the illusion that hundreds of blades were attacking Hitsugaya. The blade tips pounded Hitsugaya's ice wings and slowly chipped away at them, with each blade breaking off a small amount of ice.

_Shit, if this keeps up I'm going to get skewered_, thought Hitsugaya. _He's got me pinned down. There's no way I can get within melee distance now. _Hitsugaya considered retreating and using his ultimate offensive move _Hyoten Hyakkaso _but he realized that such an attack would endanger Hinamori's life. _Damn it, this is hopeless. I'm going to die, Karakura Town is going to get obliterated and the enemy is going to get their hands on the Ouken_. _What should I do?_

"_Don't give up yet master,_" said a voice in Hitsugaya's head.

"_Is that you Hyorinmaru_?" asked Hitsugaya.

"_There is still one trump card up your sleeve. The one you spent six years training to attain_. _If there ever was a time to use it, then it is now_." Hyorinmaru's words made Hitsugaya remember the exhausting training sessions he had inside one of Rukongai's many caves. He remembered the numerous times he fought his Zanpakuto in his inner world and the countless times he reached the brink of death before somehow managing to recover. Finally, Hitsugaya remembered the sensation when Hyorinmaru final surrendered his ultimate secrets after Hitsugaya defeated him in a Jinzen battle that almost destroyed his inner world.

_How could I forget all of those moments? I pushed myself far beyond what any sane person would have gone, not only to master my Zanpakuto, but to attain a power strong enough to protect the people who are dear to me. I can't afford to let all of that training go to waste_.

"_Let's do it master. Let's show him our ultimate move_," said Hyorinmaru.

"_Alright_," said Hitsugaya. Just as his ice wings were shattered by Shinso's blade, Hitsugaya's body started glowing brightly, emitting a shining blue aura. Shinso retracted his blade and stared at the astonishing sight before him.

"What is this?" he asked. Shinso watched as Hitsugaya's entire body was covered by a layer of thick blue-coloured ice. The wings upon his back regenerated and grew much larger and more intricate. The ice tail growing from his read end became much longer and thicker. Hitsugaya's head was covered by a helmet that resembled a dragon's head. Finally, the three ice petals that hovered above Hitsugaya shattered, reforming into a sphere of ice that enveloped Hitsugaya's body.

"_Daiguren Hyoryuko_," said Hitsugaya. This is the final form of my Bankai. In this state, I have partially merged with Hyorinmaru, with my body becoming solid water and ice. Your Bankai may shatter me but as long as there's water in the atmosphere I will reform. Here I come Shinso. Or should I say, Kamishini no yari."

In his transformed state Hitsugaya flew towards Shinso. Shinso panicked and used _Buto Renjin_ again, firing his sword at Hitsugaya in a desperate attempt to slice him into pieces. Shinso's blade pierced Hitsugaya in the face, neck, chest and limbs multiple times, but to Shinso's disbelief, Hitsugaya simply regenerated his body after every attack. The regeneration was almost instant; making it seem like Shinso's blade was going through Hitsugaya's body without any effect.

"Ah, looks like you got me, little captain," said Shinso with a smile, as Hitsugaya breached his final defence and got within melee range.

"It is over Shinso," said Hitsugaya. He charged all of his remaining spirit energy into his blade, shouting out "_Ryusenka_!" as he did so. He pierced Shinso in the chest, his blade penetrating the other side of Shinso's body. A few seconds later a wave of ice spread out from Hitsugaya's blade and quickly engulfed Shinso's body, before fanning out into a flower-shaped ice structure. Hitsugaya proceeded to withdraw his sword, causing the ice structure to shatter into millions of pieces. A few seconds later, the ice armor that was surrounding his body also shattered, and Hitsugaya's sword soon reverted to its sealed state.

"I guess _Daiguren Hyoryuko_ takes too much of a toll on my body," said Hitsugaya. He turned towards the floating platform. "Time to rescue Hinamori." Hitsugaya flew towards the platform. As he did so, he saw the platform emit a bright yellow light. At the same time, a set of green lights appeared in the distance, tracing a mile-wide square shaped area in the centre of Karakura Town.

"Oh no, the ritual is almost finished! I've got to hurry!" exclaimed Hitsugaya. He reached the white platform in a single flash step and landed upon it.

"Shiro-chan!" screamed Hinamori in a frantic voice.

"Hold on Hinamori, I'm going to free you," said Hitsugaya. He used his sword to slash apart the ropes that were tying Hinamori to the ritual circle at the centre of the platform. He then carefully undid the ropes binding Hinamori's arms. When the ropes were all cut, Hitsugaya grabbed hold of Hinamori's right hand. The two of them leaped off the platform. Hitsugaya then unsheathed his sword and pointed his right hand at the platform.

"Hado 63, _Raikoho_!" shouted Hitsugaya. A massive yellow energy blast shot out from his hand and impacted the platform, destroying it in an enormous explosion. With the platform destroyed, the green lights that traced a square mile area of Karakura Town disappeared, signaling that the ritual for the creation of the Ouken had been halted.

_We managed to stop it_¸ thought Hitsugaya. His thought was shared by his comrades in various parts of Karakura Town. All of them were relieved that the ritual had been halted.

"Are you alright Hinamori?" asked Hitsugaya.

"I am, Shiro-chan," said Hinamori. She hugged her arms around his waist. "I've missed you so much. There hasn't been a single moment when I wasn't thinking of you. I'm so sorry for letting myself get kidnapped."

"You're such a Baka, Momo-chan," said Hitsugaya with a smile. "You don't need to be sorry for anything. It's not your fault that you were kidnapped. I'm just grateful that you're alive and well. From now on, I'll make sure to never leave sight of you."

"Yes, Shiro-chan. We'll always be together. Forever," said Hinamori. She and Hitsugaya were about to hug each other tightly when a sword suddenly pierced both of them right in the middle of their chests. As he coughed up blood, Hitsugaya wondered who had stabbed him. When he saw who it was, he gasped in utter disbelief and despair. It was the great traitor, Aizen Sousuke himself.

"How touching it is to see two lovers embrace each other so closely," said Aizen. "I think it would be fitting for the two of you to die like this."

"Aizen…how did you…?" stuttered Hitsugaya. Those were his last words before he lost consciousness.

Just then, Ichigo, Rukia and Renji arrived at the space where the platform used to be. The three of them saw Hitsugaya and Hinamori fall from the sky as their assailant withdrew the blade from their chests. Ichigo and Renji managed to catch them before they slammed into the ground.

"These wounds are horrible," said Renji. "Who could have done this?"

"Ichigo, look up there!" exclaimed Rukia. She pointed to the sky above, where a mysterious woman with long black hair and a red kimono slowly sheathed a sword still dripping with blood. Ichigo's widened in shock.

"You! You're that woman!" shouted Ichigo. "The one responsible for kidnapping Karin and Yuzu! Are you the mastermind behind everything?"

"What do you mean woman Ichigo? Isn't that Aizen up there?" asked Renji. Ichigo and Rukia were confused. The woman saw their expressions and laughed.

"It appears that your red-haired friend has also been subjected to absolute hypnosis," said the woman.

"Absolute hypnosis? Don't tell me you're-" said Rukia. The woman indeed.

"Seems like the two of you have seen through my true identity. Yes, I am Kyoka Suigetsu, and I am the one responsible for the great uprising. I am pleased at how much you've grown, Kurosaki Ichigo and Kuchiki Rukia. Because of you, my plan has proceeded as expected, despite losing my henchmen." Just then, another person materialized beside Kyoka Suigetsu.

"Oh, you're alive Shinso?" asked Kyoka Suigetsu.

"Yeah, just barely thought. Captain Hitsugaya was tougher than I expected. I had to use my substitution technique just to survive his last attack," said Shinso. "Have you found what you were looking for?" Kyoka Suigetsu smiled at Shinso before she turned to Ichigo and Rukia again.

"At last the hour of my victory draws near. The Ouken is finally within my grasp, and none of you Shinigami will be able to stop me. Sayonara, Kurosaki Ichigo and Kuchiki Rukia. It is a shame that we won't meet again." Kyoka Suigetsu motioned Shinso to open a Senkaimon to Soul Society. Shinso stepped through the gate first and Kyoka Suigetsu followed after him.

"Wait a minute! What is your goal? What do you hope to accomplish?" asked Ichigo in a frantic voice. Kyoka Suigetsu turned around and stared at him with a patronizing expression.

"My goal…is to destroy Soul Society," said Kyoka Suigetsu. With that, the Senkaimon disappeared, leaving Ichigo, Rukia and Renji totally confused and defeated.

* * *

At the same moment, deep inside Seireitei, the twelfth division captain Urahara Kisuke descended down a long flight of steps. He was accompanied by four high ranking members of the Kido Corps, each carrying special staffs embedded with special crystals in their right hand. The five of them were currently deep inside Soul Society's Underground Prison. They had already passed the third level, Shugo, which had been the level the current head of the Kido Corps and his close friend, Tsukabishi Tessai, was once sentenced to. Now he and the four Kido Corps guards descended down into the lower depths of the prison, where the worst criminals in Soul Society's history were kept.

After what seemed like an eternity of walking, Urahara and his guards finally reached the very bottom of the Underground Prison, the eighth level, Avici. In this god forsaken place, hundreds of metres below the surface, there was a complete absence of light. The four Kido Corps guards cast a powerful light spell that provided enough illumination to navigate the twisted corridors of this prison level. They led Urahara to a cell at very deepest part of Avici. This cell was barred by a sequence of eight magic seals and multiple chains made out of Sekki-seki. Three of the Kido Corps guards began a complex incantation to undo the seals. The fourth guard began removing the chains covering the door. It took a long time, but the four guards finally managed to undo all of the seals and chains upon the door.

"Alright, Captain Urahara, you may enter this cell," said one of the guards. "Unfortunately, we must shut the door once you are inside."

"That is fine with me," said Urahara. The guard opened the door to the cell, allowing Urahara to step inside. As soon as he was in the cell, the door quickly shut behind him. Urahara took his time to observe the cell. He was surprised to see that the entire cell was brightly lit, in contrast to the darkness in the corridor outside. The walls, floor and ceiling of the cell were all white in colour and the room itself was completely bare of any furniture.

Urahara's eyes focused upon the occupant of this cell. A man so notorious his entire body had been bound in thick black ropes. Furthermore, a powerful Kido spell had been cast upon him, causing him to hover in the air in a sitting position. _Ouch, that position must be really painful_, thought Urahara. The only part of the man's body that wasn't covered was his face. The man opened his eyes, and when he saw Urahara, he smirked, giving off an arrogant expression that was only accentuated by the single strand of hair dangling from his forehead. It was a smirk that could only belong to the most notorious criminal and traitor in Soul Society's history.

"My, my, I didn't expect to see a person of your intellect to come all the way down here, to this pit of despair," said Aizen Sousuke. "Have you come to greet me, Urahara Kisuke?"

"Of course not Aizen. I've come here to interrogate you," said Urahara. "Soul Society is in the midst of another crisis, one instigated by someone acting under your name. We are in a desperate situation. You have valuable information that I need and I won't hesitate to extract it out of here." When he heard Urahara's words, Aizen started chuckling.

"The man whose intellect surpasses mine has run out of answers to his problems and has to resort to asking his archenemy for help? I am quite surprised, Urahara Kisuke," said Aizen. "So then, what is it that you wish to ask me about?"

* * *

Notes: Yep Hitsugaya and Hinamori get trolled by Aizen again, except it's not really Aizen per se but his Zanpakuto Kyoka Suigetsu. Apart from marking the end of the Battle of Karakura mini arc, this chapter also features character development for Kira. Like Hisagi, Kira has also obtained Bankai. His Bankai, _Tenbutsu Wabisuke _(天罰侘助)-'Divine punishment of the Wretched One', is a logical extension of his Shikai. I made it quite similar to the appearance of his Zanpakuto Spirit.

Hitsugaya's new technique, _Daiguren Hyoryuko _(大紅蓮 氷竜甲)-"Grand Crimson Ice Dragon Shell". is similar to Komamura's ultimate move, but it's not as advanced since he doesn't completely transform into Hyorinmaru, nor does he lose all of his Shinigami powers. It just an advanced form of his Bankai that turns him into a logia like Aokiji from One Piece.


	37. Chapter 37: Embodiement of Fire

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

*Author's comment: I would like to say a word in response to a few of the negative reviews I've received. My story is far from perfect and I admit I make mistakes regarding characterisation and plot development. But I would prefer that criticisms regarding my work be more construtive in nature.

* * *

Chapter 37 Embodiment of Fire

"What the hell just happened?" asked Renji. "One minute Aizen shows up out of nowhere and backstabs Captain Hitsugaya and Hinamori-chan and the next minute he walks into a Senkaimon with someone who looks like Ichimaru."

"Renji, that wasn't Aizen," said Ichigo.

"Huh?" Renji looked at Ichigo and Rukia with a confused face.

"I think Renji is under the effect of Kyoka Suigetsu," said Rukia.

"Sure seems that way. Looks you and I are the only two who weren't under complete hypnosis," said Ichigo.

"Whoa, whoa, are you saying the 'Aizen' I saw was an illusion?" asked Renji.

"He wasn't an illusion per se; it's just that someone else was impersonating him," said Rukia. "

"If that wasn't Aizen then who was it?"

"It was Aizen's Zanpakuto spirit, Kyoka Suigetsu," said Ichigo. "She probably disguised herself as her master in order to trick the Gotei 13. I guess only Rukia and I saw through her disguise because neither of us are under the complete hypnosis."

"She mentioned something about the Ouken being in her grasp…" said Rukia. "Don't tell me she knows the real Ouken's location!" The three of them suddenly realized that this entire battle of Karakura was nothing but a diversion.

"We've got to return to Soul Society as soon as possible," said Ichigo. "We have to stop her from getting to the Ouken at all costs. Let's go Rukia, Renji!"

"Sorry Ichigo but I'll have to stay behind," Renji winced as a sharp pain went through his body. "I'm too badly injured to come with you."

"Alright then, Ichigo and I will go by ourselves," said Rukia. She got out a sword and opened a Senkaimon to Soul Society. Renji watched as Ichigo and Rukia stepped into the gate.

"Take care of yourselves," said Renji.

"You too," said Ichigo.

* * *

At the same moment, inside the first division barracks in Soul Society, the acting Captain Commander Kyoraku Shunsui was in a middle of a meeting with his comrades Ukitake Jushiro and Unohana Retsu. With most of the other captains either out on a mission, incapacitated or otherwise unavailable, the three senior captains had the task of running a Seireitei still badly affected by the Great Uprising.

"Has there been any word from the Hitsugaya strike team in Karakura Town?" asked Kyoraku.

"Not yet. The last report I received was from my lieutenant Kuchiki who said that most of the enemies had been neutralized. That was around three hours ago. I haven't heard anything from Captains Hitsugaya or Komamura," said Ukitake.

"Hmm, perhaps it would be wise to send another team down there to reestablish contact with them and assess the situation," said Shunsui.

"I can send a squadron of healers down there at a moment's notice," said Unohana.

"Do it then. Hitsugaya's strike team are probably also in need of medical attention," said Shunsui. Unohana nodded. She bid Shunsui and Ukitake farewell and left the first division office. About a minute or so after Unohana left, a messenger from the Onimitsukido's Secret Remote Squad knocked on the front door of the office.

"Excuse me Kyoraku Sotaicho, I have an urgent message," said the messenger.

"Go on," said Shunsui. The messenger took a deep breath.

"Captain Hirako and his search team have returned. They have found and brought back Former Captain Commander Yamamoto Genyrusai." Shunsui's eyes widened in surprise.

"I thought Yamaji-san was back already," said Shunsui.

"Maybe we should go and greet them," said Ukitake.

"Alright then. Messenger, go and tell Captain Hirako that I will be meeting him and his group shortly." The messenger nodded and left the first division office.

"Let's go Jushiro. I have a feeling that something fishy is going on," said Shunsui. He and Ukitake got up and left the first division barracks. They flash stepped across Seireitei until they reached the Eastern Blue Stream Gate. When they got to the gate, they found a group of nine people already waiting for them.

"Yo, how's it going, Kyoraku-san?" asked Shinji.

"Not bad. Is Yamaji-san with you?" asked Shunsui. Shinji pointed to an old man dressed in a set of ragged clothes with a hood covering most of his face. Shunsui could barely recognise him, except for the cane he was holding in his right hand.

"What is the matter Shunsui? Do you not have any words of greeting for your sensei?" asked Yamamoto.

"Ah, sorry Yamaji-san, I couldn't recognise you at first," said Shunsui. "I thought already greeted you when you came back yesterday." Yamamoto looked at Shunsui with a confused look.

"This is the first time I have seen you in more than two years Shunsui. I only found out about this latest crisis when Captain Hirako and his team located me a few hours ago."

"But, I swear I saw you yesterday Yamaji-san. You were wearing your captain's haori, and you asked me to show you the location of the Ouken."

"Are you absolutely certain it was me Shunsui?" asked Yamamoto.

"Yeah I am quite sure. After I showed you the Ouken's location, you told me you were leaving Seireitei again to hunt the Doomwalker." Yamamoto pondered Shunsui's story for a moment. He then stared at Ukitake.

"Did you also see me yesterday, Jushiro?" he asked.

"No sir, I never received any word from Shunsui that you were back until today," said Ukitake. "Furthermore, none of the gatekeepers saw anyone noticeable entering or leave Seireitei until this morning. If you truly did return yesterday someone would have informed me about it."

"If what you say is true Jushiro, then this 'Yamamoto' who Shunsui reportedly met yesterday was an imposter," said Yamamoto.

"I don't think a mere imposter could have copied your appearance, your spiritual pressure and your mannerisms so perfectly," said Shunsui. "He looked and sounded exactly like you."  
"If he wasn't an imposter pretending to be Genryusai-sensei, then who was he?" asked Ukitake.

"He was an illusion, Kyoraku Sotaicho," said a voice from behind. Shunsui and the others turned around and saw it was Urahara Kisuke.

"An illusion?" asked Ukitake. "How could an illusion be so powerful that not even Shunsui could see through it?"

"I can explain everything," said Urahara. "It appears that all of us, the entire Gotei 13, have been victims of one of the most devious plots in Soul Society's history. And the culprit behind this plot is none other than Aizen Sousuke's materialized Zanpakuto, Kyoka Suigetsu."

"What Kyoka Suigetsu?" gasped Shinji. "But how? I thought Aizen's Zanpakuto fused with him when he merged with the Hogyoku."

"So did I. I initially thought Aizen had escaped the Underground Prison and was working in the shadows. But he is still securely incarcerated in the lowest level of the prison. Furthermore, his Zanpakuto spirit is not with him."

"How do you know all of this Captain Urahara?" asked Yamamoto.

"I've gone down into the Underground Prison myself and visited Aizen's cell," said Urahara. "I extracted as much information out of him as I could." Urahara began to recount his interrogation of Aizen to the others…

* * *

_"What is it that you wish to ask me about?" asked Aizen. Urahara showed him the ninth division's news report about the incident at the Research and Development Institute._

_"About a week ago, a group of intruders broke into the Research and Development Institute's storage facility and stole dozens of top secret research specimens. In the process of this burglary, Lieutenant Kurotsuchi Nemu was killed, the Twelfth Division Captain Kurotsuchi was driven into insanity, and the institute itself was destroyed by an explosion."_

_"Oh, Captain Mayuri has gone insane? That is rather sad to hear," said Aizen._

_"It was definitely unpleasant for the Gotei 13. We had no choice but to strip Kurotsuchi of his rank. As he was recovering in the fourth division's medical bay I questioned him regarding the events that led up to the institute's destruction. Kurotsuchi was lucid enough to recount all of the details. He told me that he saw a person who looked exactly like him coming out of the Institute's basement with his most prized research specimens. He said that the imposter turned into a woman with a red kimono and killed his lieutenant in front of him. That was as much I could get out of Kurotsuchi before he became catatonic. _

_"Another major incident occurred two days following the destruction of the Institute. A group of intruders broke into the Maggot's Nest and freed all of your former fifth division subordinates. They armed the most senior officers with artificial Zanpakuto and set them loose across Seireitei."_

_"Huh, artificial Zanpakuto? Now that is interesting. Were they the research specimens that Captain Mayuri was working on?" asked Aizen._

_"They were. But that is not important. What is important…is who these intruders were." Urahara took out another piece of paper and showed it to Aizen. It was a laminated photograph depicting three individuals. One was a woman wearing a red kimono, the second was a man with white hair and a blue Shihakusho, and the third was a man dressed in a black hood and with wings growing from his back._

_"This photograph was taken by a surveillance camera monitoring the entrance to the Maggot's Nest, shortly before it was blown up by an explosion," said Urahara. "The three people you see here are the perpetuators behind the breakout. I believe they are also the ones responsible for the incident at the Research and Development Institute. The woman in the middle is the one I want you to look at. Do you know who she is?" _

_Aizen stared at the woman's face for a moment, before he gave a slight smirk._

_"Of course I recognise her. She is my Zanpakuto spirit, Kyoka Suigetsu_," _said Aizen._

_"Just as I had suspected," said Urahara. "I knew something was up when I heard Kurotsuchi's account. Only one Zanpakuto in all of Society has the power to present a perfect illusion of another person-yours."_

_"Well, well, even you are impressed by my Zanpakuto's absolute hypnosis."_

_"Impressed or not, I want to know what your Zanpakuto spirit is after. Is she following your orders?" asked Urahara. At this point Aizen burst out in a fit of laughter._

_"Are you kidding? I haven't even spoken to her since I fused with the Hogyoku. She is no longer residing in my inner world anymore."_

_"So she isn't following your orders," said Urahara. "Then tell me, just what is it that she is after? Why would she go to such lengths when she knows her master is incarcerated?"_

_"Heh, heh, isn't it obvious?" chuckled Aizen. "Kyoka Suigetsu wants to prove to me that her powers are far better than the Hogyoku's. To do that, she is seeking to accomplish through stealth and deceit what I could not accomplish through force of arms and brute strength: obtaining the Ouken." _

_

* * *

_

"And that is all I could get out of Aizen," said Urahara. "To put it bluntly, this Zanpakuto spirit Kyoka Suigetsu seeks to acquire the real Ouken and bring it to her master."

"Unbelievable," said Ukitake, after hearing Urahara's account.

"Looks like we've all been played for fools," said Shinji.

"Indeed we have," said Yamamoto. "At this moment, we face a far greater crisis than Aizen Sousuke ever presented to us. We cannot allow this Kyoka Suigetsu to obtain the true Ouken."

"Then we should chase after her as soon as possible. She must be heading to the Ouken's location right now," said Shunsui. Just as the group of lieutenants and captains were about to head in the direction of the First division barracks, they were stopped in their tracks when a giant shadow suddenly covered all the ground in the vicinity.

"What is that?" asked Hiyori, the first one to tilt her head towards the sky above. The others barely had time to look up, before the Sekki-seki force field protecting Seireitei was shattered by a being of immense size. Everyone flash jumped out of the way as a pair of gargantuan, smoldering feet landed on the ground they had previously been standing on. Those who weren't stunned by the impact gasped when they saw the full extent of the monster that had landed in front of them. It was a truly gargantuan being, standing more than a hundred metres high. In terms of appearance, it resembled a golem, with a roughly humanoid face. It entire body was bathed in intense green flames scorched the entire ground around it in a twenty foot radius. The spiritual pressure that it emitted was so powerful that only the captains could resist being crushed by it.

"My god, it's the Doomwalker," said Kensei. Everyone present remembered the beast of destruction that had attacked Soul Society nearly three years ago. No one knew where the monster had come from, but the swathe of destruction it unleashed with each of its footsteps caused it to be called the 'Doomwalker'. It took the combined might of all thirteen captains to prevent Seireitei from being utterly destroyed by the creature's wrath. In the aftermath of the attack, Yamamoto stepped down as Captain Commander and embarked on a mission to locate and destroy the Doomwalker, to prevent it from attacking Soul Society ever again.

"I should have known it would follow me back here," said Yamamoto. The beast's 'mouth' opened, and it fired a huge ball of energy at the Shinigami. The ball hit the ground, creating an enormous explosion. When the smoke from the explosion dissipated, most of the lieutenants and captains emerged relatively unscathed.

"I thought that attack was going to kill us all," said Lisa. "What happened?" The answer came when Shunsui suddenly shouted "Jushiro!" The 13th Division Captain Ukitake somehow managed to release his Shikai and jump in front of everyone, summoning a shield of energy that absorbed the brunt of the explosion. This act of bravery saved his comrades, at the cost of himself, for Ukitake had taken the full force of the blast. His clothes were all torn and shredded, and his whole body was seriously burnt. His Zanpakuto reverted to its sealed state before snapping in half, before Ukitake fell onto his front. Yamamoto bent down and inspected Ukitake. He sighed deeply as he stood up again.

"Stand back all of you. This monster is far too dangerous for anyone except me to deal with. You saw what it did to Jushiro," said Yamamoto. Just then, the Kido Corps Captain Tsukabishi Tessai came running towards them.

"Yamamoto Sotaicho!" yelled Tessai.

:"Excellent timing Tsukabishi-san. I need your help," said Yamamoto.

"What do you want me to me to do Sotaicho?"

"I want you to teleport this monster and myself to the remotest outskirts of Rukongai."

"What about stopping Kyoka Suigetsu?" asked Shunsui.

"I'm leaving that task in your hands Shunsui," said Yamamoto. "I've been hunting for this monster for far too long. Now is the time for me to kill it. Do it Tessai!"

"Okay, Sotaicho!" yelled Tessai. He clapped his hands together before he slammed his right palm onto the surface of the ground. This action created a large green coloured magic circle that surrounded himself, Yamamoto and the Doomwalker. The magic circle emitted a blinding flash of light that momentarily stunned the surrounding people. When the light disappeared, the entire area covered by the circle was gone.

"Um, what was that spell?" asked Mashiro.

"_Kukanten'i,_" said Urahara. "It is a forbidden Kido spell that teleports everything within a certain radius of the caster to another destination in an instant. With it the user can cover vast distances. Kido Captain Tsukabishi must have used it transport Captain Commander Yamamoto and the Doomwalker far away from Soul Society."

* * *

At the same moment, in a distance corner of the Rukongai, some thousand miles away from Seireitei, a blinding flash suddenly appeared. It was followed a second later by the appearance of a magic circle with three figures standing in the middle of it. They found themselves in the middle of a vast plain of grass.

"I've transported you one of remotest corners of Rukongai. There's not a single soul within a fifteen kilometer radius of this grassland," said Tessai.

"This is perfect, Tessai-san," said Yamamoto. "You had better return to Seireitei as quickly as possible."

"Yes Sotaicho," nodded Tessai. He recast _Kukanten_'_i _again, this time upon himself, and teleported back to Seireitei, leaving the Captain Commander to confront the Doomwalker by himself. The towering creature bellowed, the sound of its voice creating shockwaves of air. It then proceeded to stomp upon the ground, with each stomp turning the ground beneath it into black charcoal. Yamamoto was hardly impressed by its antics.

"At last, the time has come for me to dispose of you," said Yamamoto. "I was getting sick and tired of chasing you around."

The monster roared again and intensified the flames surrounding its body. It attempted to crush Yamamoto with its spiritual pressure.

"Such tricks will not work on me, kozu. Now that it is just the two of us, I do not have to worry about the safety of others," said Yamamoto. "This means I can finally…fight…all…out!"

The old man planted his cane upon the ground and removed his ragged shirt, exposing his scarred upper body, including the stump of his left arm. The outer layer of the cane peeled away, exposing a sword in a scabbard. Yamamoto grabbed the pommel of his sword and pulled it out of the scabbard. The blade of the sword instantly ignited with smoldering flames. Embers from the tip of the blade were blown by the wind onto the surrounding grass, setting it alight. Within seconds a large grass fire had started, fanned by the wind and Yamamoto's own spiritual pressure into forming a barrier around himself and the Doomwalker.

The Doomwalker let out another bellow, before it pointed a finger at Yamamoto. It fired a green coloured beam of light at Yamamoto. Yamamoto leaped into the air a split second before the beam hit him. The beam slammed into the ground, creating an explosion that carved a ten foot wide crater. The Doomwalker fired multiple beams of light at Yamamoto, with each beam increasing in intensity and speed. Yamamoto dodged each attack but was buffeted by the shockwaves of the explosions created by each beam of light as they hit the ground. The demon stopped firing beams of light and instead opened its mouth and fired a massive green ball of energy at Yamamoto. The ball of energy flew at him at such a fast speed that Yamamoto was unable to dodge it.

"Shit!" swore Yamamoto as he was hit head on by the ball of energy, which exploded in a humongous fireball. Smoke from the explosion rose high into the sky. When it cleared, Yamamoto emerged with his face, torso and right arm covered with burns. Blood flowed from his mouth as he panted heavily.

"For a mere beast you are quite clever in your tactics," said Yamamoto. "It appears that even my Shikai state is no match for your power and speed. If that is the case then I have no choice but to use it, the one thing that I have not been forced to us in two hundred years…my Bankai." Yamamoto landed on the ground and thrust his sword into the grass. An aura of reiatsu shaped like flames surrounded his body.

"Feel the full force of my wrath, demon! BANKAI!" screamed Yamamoto. His entire body was suddenly engulfed by a plume of red hot flames. The flames rose, expanded and somehow solidified into a humanoid shape. First a head appeared, followed by both arms. The torso took shape, with the chest muscles and a six pack forming. The legs then appeared, covered by what appeared to be a hakama. The eyes, nose, ears and mouth appeared with the final feature being a thick beard that stretched down to the waist. The final shape resembled a giant version of Yamamoto, made entirely out of flames. He stood a hundred metres high, as tall as the Doomwalker, and the flames coming from his body set the entire grassland plain alight with fire.

"_Keshin no Ka, Hi no Kami Ryujin Jakka_," said Yamamoto. "I am the only Shinigami in the past thousand years to have mastered the _Keshin_ state. Most Shinigami cannot attain this form without losing their spiritual powers, but I can. In this form, I become one with _Ryujin Jakka_. The power I wield is so great it can easily destroy Seireitei. You should be honoured to be the first being in two hundred years to feel the full force of my Bankai."

Yamamoto clenched his right fist and stood in a fighting stance with his right arm wound all the way back. The Doomwalker responded by clenching its right fist and adopting the same fighting stance. The two combatants stood facing each other, as the grassland burned around them. Yamamoto intensified his spiritual pressure, causing a fiery red aura of spiritual energy to surround his body. The Doomwalker let out another bellow. Then the two of them punched at each other. The impact of their fists triggered an explosion of truly colossal proportions. It took the form of a sphere of energy more than five hundred metres across, before it erupted into a gargantuan mushroom cloud. Shockwaves spread out from the epicenter of the explosion, rupturing the ground, as millions of rocks and debris flew into the atmosphere.

"Holy shit, what the hell was that?" asked Hiyori, after she and everyone else were suddenly thrown off their feet by a powerful earthquake.

* * *

"That… is old man Yama at full power," said Shunsui. They could see the faint outlines of a fireball in the distance.

"No wonder Yamamoto Sotaicho asked Tessai-san to teleport him to a far distant corner of Rukongai," said Lisa. "That explosion could have easily destroyed Seireitei."

"Do you think we should assist Yamamoto-san against that Doomwalker?" asked Love.

"Are you mad Love? Any one of us would get killed if we got within ten kilometers of the Captain Commander," said Kensei.

"Kensei-san is right. We'll have to let Yamamoto-san fight the Doomwalker by himself. We have a much more important objective at stake," said Shunsui. He turned to Urahara.

"Kisuke, I want you to go to Karakura Town and contact Hitsugaya's assault team. I want you to inform them of the situation. Tessai, take Jushiro-san to the fourth division barracks." Urahara and Tessai nodded and promptly left to execute their orders, leaving Shinji and the other Visoreds alone with Shunsui.

"So it is up to us to stop Kyoka Suigetsu," said Shinji bluntly. Shunsui nodded.

"I'm sorry for leaving this task to you guys, but I have no choice. I can't leave Seireitei unattended," said Shunsui. "There's no time left, you must head for the Ouken's location as soon as possible." Shunsui flash stepped towards the First division barracks; Shinji and the other Visoreds followed him. At the same moment, a Senkaimon suddenly appeared near the Eastern White Way Gate.

As the last remaining forces of the Gotei 13 mobilized to confront the greatest threat in Soul Society's history, the Zanpakuto Kyoka Suigetsu and her accomplice Shinso had almost reached their goal, as the two of them materialized in a magic circle deep underground. With a smug smile on her face, Kyoka Suigetsu advanced forward.

* * *

Notes: I apologize for the long delay between updates. I had trouble writing this chapter, partially due to writer's block and partially due to me being distracted by personal events. I thank the readers who have continued to support me during this period.

Anyways, regarding the chapter itself, this chapter resolves some of the major plot threads that have been developing throughout the current arc and sets the scene for the final confrontation. It also features the unveiling of Yamamoto's Bankai. I tried to make his Bankai release as epic as his first Shikai release was in the original Bleach Manga.

Yamamoto has mastered his Bankai, _Hi no Kami Ryujin Jakka_ (火の神流刃若火) "God of Fire Flowing Blade like Flame", to such a degree that when he releases it he merges with his Zanpakuto spirit, similar to how Ichigo's Final Getsuga Tensho made him become Getsuga. I've coined this state _Keshin_ _, _or 'Avatar' form. It represents the ultimate state of being that a Shinigami can reach, as well the pinnacle of a Shinigami's mastery of his Zanpakuto. Unlike Ichigo, Yamamoto can go into this state without risking the loss of his Shinigami powers. Needless to say, this makes him far more powerful than FGT Ichigo.


	38. Chapter 38: Heart of Darkness

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

* * *

Chapter 38 Heart of Darkness

"We're here," said the Kyoraku Shunsui as he entered the Captain Commander's office. Following right behind him was Shinji's group. Shunsui walked towards the wall behind the Captain Commander's desk and touched on a hidden panel. The wall slid open, revealing a private study room. Shinji's group followed Shunsui inside. They saw him walk to one of the bookshelves and pull out a book before putting it back in. A second later the entire section of the wall behind the bookshelf retracted into the ceiling, revealing a hidden square shaped room.

Shunsui entered the room and motioned to Shinji's group to do the same.

"What is this place?" asked Shinji. "I didn't know a room like this existed inside the First Division barracks."

"This is the teleporter to the Ouken's location," said Shunsui. He pointed to the spiritual circle embedded in the floor of the room. "Only the Captain Commander or his successor is supposed to know of this place. I'm already breaking one of the fundamental edicts of Soul Society by showing you guys."

"Pfft, as if you're worried about breaking rules," said Lisa. "You used to do all sorts of illegal things all the time when I was your lieutenant."

"Lisa-chan, could we please not have that discussion again at this moment," said Shunsui, as beads of sweat rolled down his face. The other Visoreds laughed at his predicament, before they stepped onto the magic circle. Shunsui walked over to a control panel and pressed a few switches. This caused the circle to glow brightly.

"Listen carefully everyone. The Ouken is located in a place called the Heart of Seireitei," Shunsui explained. "It is a nucleus of incredibly dense solid reishi surrounded by a semi-liquid reishi ocean. In a way, it is similar to the real world earth's core. The King's Realm exists as a pocket dimension within the Heart's nucleus. It can only be accessed by opening a special Senkaimon."

"And the only way to open that Senkaimon is to use the Ouken?" asked Rose.

"Yes. The Ouken itself hovers above a spirit dais that operates the Senkaimon to the King's Realm. It can be easily obtained once a person reaches the Heart of Seireitei. The hard part is getting to the Heart of Seireitei itself, which is where this teleporter comes in. It can transport people to the Heart of Seireitei, but it's a one way trip unless there is someone keeping the teleporter operational."

"So that is why you can't come with us Kyoraku-san," said Shinji. Shunsui nodded.

"When you defeat Kyoka Suigetsu, just step into the circle at the other end and you will be teleported back here. I'll be waiting for you guys," said Shunsui.

"Don't worry Kyoraku-san. We'll accomplish our mission without fail," said Shinji. He gave Shunsui a thumbs up. Shunsui gave Shinji and his group a thumbs up in response before he pulled a lever. In an instant all eight people standing inside the circle vanished in a flash. The magic circle stopped glowing, reverting to its previous state. Shunsui sighed heavily.

"Maybe I'm not cut out to be the Captain Commander," he said to himself.

"Hey, I thought this was supposed to a teleporter!" exclaimed Hiyori.

"Well, according to Kyoraku-san, it is," said Shinji.

"Then why are we moving at such a slow speed?" Hiyori stamped her foot on the spot in frustration.

"Settle down Hiyori-chan," said Hachi. "If my hunch is correct, this Heart of Seireitei should be located as far underground as the real world earth's core is. So we are looking at a journey of at least six thousand kilometers. Depending on the distance, it takes a certain amount of time to teleport matter from one place to another. Even Tsukabishi Taicho's _Kukanten'i _spell would take about a minute or so just to transport Yamamoto Sotaicho from Seireitei to the far outskirts of Rukongai. We're heading to a place that is many times further than that. So it shouldn't be surprising that it will take us much longer to get there."

"I guess we should just sit back and relax," said Love. "We have plenty of time to stop that Zanpakuto."

* * *

Unbeknownst to the Visoreds, time had almost run out. With a few steps of her nimble frame, Kyoka Suigetsu arrived at the Heart of Seireitei.

"It's magnificent," she said. She glanced at the enormous ball of plasma and reishi floating above her. Over a hundred feet across, the ball was constantly throbbing, expanding and then contracting in size. Each 'pulse' let out a wave of spiritual energy that rose upwards and disappeared into a seemingly endless black shaft. Surrounding this nucleus of condensed reishi was a truly immense underground chamber. The chamber was so vast that Kyoka Suigetsu could barely make out its edge; the walkway from the teleporter to the nucleus alone stretched for more than two kilometers. The top half of the chamber was empty, but the bottom half of the chamber was covered by an 'ocean' of semi-liquid reishi. Kyoka Suigetsu had no doubt that this ocean would instantly kill any spiritual being that fell into it.

The Zanpakuto turned her attention away from the surroundings and focused upon the object in front of her. It was a spherical dais, mounted upon a waist-high podium. The dais was bare except for a single key slot. Kyoka Suigetsu peered upwards and smirked. The Ouken was hovering only a few metres above her. Only a few inches long, it was made of pure gold. Numerous markings were engraved upon its surface, and the blade of the key had numerous intricately carved edges.

"I expected the Ouken to be much bigger," said Kyoka Suigetsu with a grin on her face. "So this is what Aizen-sama had worked all his life to obtain. With this, I shall finally win back Aizen-sama's love and affection!" Kyoka Suigetsu let out a squeak of excitement.

"Are you really going to take the Ouken and show it to your master?" asked Shinso. "Don't you want to use it to open the gate to the King's Realm yourself? That is what I would do. Frankly it would be a waste of all the effort we went through if you simply took the key and left this place."

"Hmm, you do have a point Shinso-san," said Kyoka Suigetsu. "It would make my master _more _pleased if I brought him the Ouken _after_ I kill all of the Royal Guards and the King himself. Alright then, let's see how this thing works!" The Zanpakuto reached out her right hand. To her delight, she saw the Ouken slowly descend towards her. Barely able to contain her excitement, Kyoka Suigetsu was now more like an enthusiastic schoolgirl receiving a birthday present than a cold, calculating mastermind. She was so distracted by the Ouken's shiny appearance that she failed to pay attention to Shinso. The white-haired Zanpakuto snickered as he saw the Ouken descend. _At last, my chance has arrived_, he thought.

"At last, I have it!" exclaimed Kyoka Suigetsu as she grasped the golden key tightly in the palm of her hand. She was about to insert it into the key slot on the dais when she felt a hand upon her left shoulder.

"Well done, Suigetsu-san," whispered Shinso in her ear. "Your role is now finished." Kyoka Suigetsu had no time to react before a blade suddenly thrust right through her chest from behind. As blood flowed from her mouth, a furious Kyoka Suigetsu turned her head and stared at Shinso.

"Shinso you bastard! How dare you betray me?" she screamed. "I gave you everything! Without me you wouldn't even exist!"

"Sorry Suigetsu-san, but the only master I serve is Ichimaru-sama," said Shinso. "I am just following his last orders. To _kill_ Aizen Sousuke's Zanpakuto if she ever happens to make an attempt to steal the Ouken. And Suigetsu-san, I am not Shinso, I am _Kamishini no yari_." Shinso's creepy smile sent a shockwave of despair through Kyoka Suigetsu's body.

As Shinso retracted his sword, he showed it to Kyoka Suigetsu, making her see the small crack in the blade's surface.

"Do you know my Bankai's true ability, Suigetsu-san?" asked Shinso,

"Isn't its ability simply to extend for up to thirteen miles and to extend and retract at five hundred times the speed of sound?" asked Kyoka Suigetsu nervously.

"Nope, sorry, you've got it all wrong," smiled Shinso. Kyoka Suigetsu gasped in shock. "My Bankai's real ability is to secrete a deadly poison that can break down the reishi of all substances. The poison is normally contained within the blade, but if I leave a piece of the blade inside an opponent's body when I retract my sword, the poison will spread outwards. My master used this same move to kill your master, Suigetsu-san. I think it's ironic that you're going to die in the same manner."

"Shinso…you…" stuttered Kyoka Suigetsu.

"Bye, bye Suigetsu-san. It was sure fun being beside you these last five years." Shinso put his right hand upon Kyoka Suigetsu's back and said the word "_Kill_". In an instant Kyoka Suigetsu could feel the insides of her body disintegrating. Within seconds the wound where Shinso's sword had pierced her had expanded into a foot wide hole in her body. The whole of Kyoka Suigetsu's body started disintegrating within another few seconds.

"SHINSO!" shrieked Kyoka Suigetsu with all of her remaining strength before the female Zanpakuto's body was reduced to a pile of goo on the ground. The Ouken that Kyoka Suigetsu had held in her hands was now hovering in the air again. Shinso grabbed the key and examined it.

"Hmm, what should I do with this?" Shinso asked himself. "I have no desire to use it. Maybe I should put it back again." He let go of the Ouken and watched as it floated back to its original position. Shinso then turned around and walked back towards the teleporter.

He made only a few steps before he sensed a tremendous spike in reiatsu from behind, followed by a female voice saying the words "_Bankai_". Shinso quickly turned around, just in time to see an astonishing spectacle. The pile of grey coloured goo that had been lying on the ground was now shimmering and emitting an incredible amount of spiritual pressure. Then all of a sudden the goo expanded. It slowly formed into the shape of a female humanoid. Two extensions shot out from the humanoid body's back and formed into what appeared to be a pair of gigantic wings. A bluish coloured set of scales started covering the still goo-like body. The scales formed a set of delicate hands with razor sharp nails, long black dreadlocks that stretched down to the waist, and finally a mask-like face with a pair of shining blue eyes.

Shinso stared at the monstrosity in front of him with his snake-like yellow eyes wide open, his entire body shivering with fear.

"How can this be? My poison should have killed you," said Shinso.

"Did you really think you could kill me, Shinso-kun?" asked the reborn Kyoka Suigetsu. Her voice no longer sounded like a graceful noble woman, but rather like a snake's, with a deep hissing tone. She walked forwards, her boot-like feet causing imprints in the surface of the ground with every step.

"No Zanpakuto can kill me. I am the Queen of Blades, _Ame no Uzume Kyoka Suigetsu_. The power of every single Zanpakuto I have encountered is mine to control." She showed a still stunned Shinso the necklace she was wearing around her neck. Hanging off the necklace was a single blue coloured bead made out pure jade.

"This is my Bankai's first ability, the _Yasakani no Magatama_. Its power is to absorb and materialize the essence of any Zanpakuto I come across. Aizen-sama used this ability alongside the Hogyoku to create the Arrancars' resurrecions. You're wondering how I survived your deadly poison? It's simple. I knew you would attempt to kill me one day, so when I was using the _Magatama_ to materialize you from Ichimaru Gin's corpse I took the liberty of copying _all _of your powers, especially your ability to regenerate by shedding your skin."

"How, how did you know about that?" asked Shinso. He was shocked that Kyoka Suigetsu knew about his most hidden ability, for not even his master Ichimaru was aware that he could regenerate himself.

"Isn't it obvious? Your true form is that of a snake, isn't it? And just like a snake can escape danger by shedding its skin, you can cast off your outer humanoid appearance and regenerated from it. That is how you survived being impaled by Captain Hitsugaya's _Ryusenka_ isn't it?"

_She's got me_, thought Shinso. Not only had Kyoka Suigetsu survived his most deadly attack, she had also completely outsmarted him. Ever since he was materialized, he had made the effort to be a loyal subordinate alongside her, going to such lengths as to be complicit in her evil deeds, just so he could win her trust. He had been waiting for the moment she let down her guard in order to strike her, but he had no idea she had already seen through his plans. _I've been utterly defeated_. Staring his final death in the face, Shinso smiled. _I'm sorry Ichimaru-sama_, _I couldn't accomplish your final orders_.

The white haired Zanpakuto was impaled through the chest by Kyoka Suigetsu's clawed right hand. In an instant Shinso's eyes went blank, as his life force was absorbed into Kyoka Suigetsu's body. Kyoka Suigetsu retracted her hand and watched as Shinso reverted to a sealed sword, before snapping in half.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha," laughed Kyoka Suigetsu. "What a pathetic end, Shinso-kun. To die here where no one will remember you. Your efforts truly were futile." She picked up the two pieces of the sword and was about to throw them into the reishi ocean, when she heard footsteps nearby. She looked up and saw eight Shinigami running towards her. _So these are the forces that the Gotei 13 is sending to stop me?_ _How amusing_, thought Kyoka Suigetsu with a snicker. She dropped the two pieces of Shinso upon the floor and waited for them to come.

* * *

Urahara Kisuke, the 12th Division Captain, was about to open a Senkaimon to Karakura Town when a Senkaimon suddenly appeared almost on top of him.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Urahara. The sudden appearance of the gate caused him to fall onto his rear end in surprise. The Senkaimon's doors opened and Ichigo and Rukia came running out of it. They were in such a rush that they failed to see Urahara, causing both of them to tread upon the former shopkeeper's face.

"Oww!" cried Urahara. His shout finally made Ichigo and Rukia aware of his presence. They looked down and saw they were standing upon his head.

"Urahara-san, I didn't know you were there," said Ichigo.

"Next time, look before you step out of a Senkaimon," croaked Urahara. "And would you please get your feet off me?" An embarrassed Ichigo and Rukia hastily lifted their feet from Urahara and helped him to his feet.

"Sorry about that Captain Urahara," said Rukia. "We were in a rush to contact Kyoraku Sotaicho we failed to see you."

"Don't worry about it. Now then, how come only you and Kurosaki-san are here? What's the situation in Karakura Town?"

"Um, well, we managed to stop the ritual and prevent Karakura Town from being destroyed, but Captains Hitsugaya and Komamura are in a critically state," said Rukia. "The other lieutenants also require medical treatment."

"I see. I'll contact Captain Unohana and tell her to send a medical team to treat them as soon as possible. But you still haven't told me why the two of you have returned to Soul Society."

"I can answer that question Urahara-san," said Ichigo. "Rukia and I found out about the Zanpakuto Kyoka Suigetsu's master plan. She plans to steal the real Ouken."

"And give it to her master Aizen? I've already informed Kyoraku-san about her goals," said Urahara. "He's sent Shinji's team to stop her." Ichigo and Rukia looked at each other and both had the same thought. Ichigo turned to Urahara again.

"Hirako-san and the others don't stand a chance Kyoka Suigetsu," said Ichigo bluntly. Urahara was stunned for a moment, but he soon realized what Ichigo was talking about.

"They're still under absolute hypnosis huh? In that case you'd better go to Kyoraku Sotaicho at once. He should be inside the private study room you visited when you first returned to Seireitei." Ichigo remembered the room that Urahara was talking about.

"Thanks for the help Urahara-san," said Ichigo. "Let's go Rukia." The two of them flash stepped across Seireitei as fast as they could. Within five minutes they reached the first division barracks. They ran past the guards that were standing at the front entrance of the barracks and headed straight for the office. When they got there, they headed for the wall behind the Captain Commander's desk. Ichigo placed his hand on a part of the wall, revealing a hidden panel. The wall opened, revealing the private study room. To their surprise, the room was entirely empty.

"Kyoraku Sotaicho isn't here," said Rukia.

"No, he's here alright," said Ichigo. "I sense his reiatsu. Perhaps there's another hidden room behind one of these walls." Ichigo and Rukia searched the room for any hidden panels and switches. After ten minutes of searching to no avail they were about to give up when Rukia accidentally pulled a book from the nearby bookshelf. A second later the entire section of the wall behind the bookshelf retracted, revealing a secret chamber.

"Whoa, I didn't know such a place existed," said Rukia.

"Look, there's Kyoraku Sotaicho," said Ichigo.

"Ichigo-kun, Rukia-chan, what are two doing here?" asked a somewhat weary looking Kyoraku.

"Urahara-san told us to come looking for you. We're going after Kyoka Suigetsu," said Ichigo.

"Ichigo-kun, I admire you and Rukia-chan's bravery but I think Shinji and his team are more than capable of handling her."

"You're wrong Kyoraku Sotaicho. They don't stand a chance. Kyoka Suigetsu's absolute hypnosis is still active upon them. It will be like what happened when you and the other captains tried to take on Aizen."

Ichigo's words made Kyoraku remember the moment when he, Soifon, Hitsugaya and Shinji thought they'd beaten Aizen, only to realize they had attacked Hinamori, and before they could react the four of them were ruthlessly cut down by Aizen. Even six years on from that battle, he still had nightmares thinking about it. But it was a far more recent memory that disturbed him the most; the fact that he had been tricked by someone disguising themselves as his sensei Yamamoto into revealing Soul Society's greatest secret was something he would never forgive.

"I give in Ichigo-kun," said Shunsui with a sigh. "Looks like once again everything rests upon your shoulders. I'll take you to the Ouken's location." Shunsui directed Ichigo and Rukia to stand in the middle of the teleportation circle.

"This teleporter will transport you to the Heart of Seireitei, some six thousand kilometres below the surface. Is this there that the portal to the King's Realm lies. Shinji's team should already be down there now. I'm going to accelerate the speed of teleportation so that the two of you arrive there sooner than usual. Brace yourselves, it's going to be a tough ride."

Shunsui pressed a few buttons and then flicked a switch, causing the teleportation circle to light up. Ichigo and Rukia watched the circle glow for a few seconds, before a powerful force suddenly yanked them into another plane. They found themselves inside a seemingly bottomless black shaft, and falling at an incredible speed.

"Argh I'm going to die!" screamed Rukia in a fright. She started flapping her arms wildly before Ichigo grabbed her right hand.

"Don't be scared Rukia. It's going to be alright," said Ichigo. "No matter what we encounter, we're going to survive."

"Ichigo…"

* * *

Hirako Shinji had sensed the unusual reiatsu the moment his group had arrived at the base of the teleportation shaft. The feeling became worse when they entered the vast chamber that was the Heart of Seireitei. When the eight 'Visoreds' began to cross the bridge over the reishi ocean the strange reiatsu became an omnipresent, almost crushing force that grew in strength the further the closer they got to the giant pulsing sphere in the interior of the chamber.

"Where's this reiatsu coming from?" asked Mashiro. "I've never felt anything like it before.

"It's definitely an unpleasant sensation," said Rose.

"I believe the reiatsu is flowing from that person standing at the other end of the bridge," said Hachi. He pointed to the figure in the distance. It appeared to be a humanoid being of some sort. There were a pair of giant wings on its back. As they got closer they saw that the being was female, judging from the sizeable lumps on its chest. As they got within twenty metres of the being, they could make out a beautiful if otherworldly female face. There was little else that was human about her, as she was covered in bluish reptilian scales.

"Who the heck is that?" asked Hiyori. "Is she a hollow of some sort?"

"She doesn't have the reiatsu signature of a hollow," said Kensei.

"Welcome, hollowfied Shinigami," said the being. Shinji and the others flinched when they heard the words 'hollowfied Shinigami'. "Or, to be more accurate, I should refer to all of you as bungled Arrancars."

Shinji clenched his teeth in anger. Some of the more sensitive ones like Hiyori and Mashiro could barely control their outrage.

"You bitch! How dare you call us that!" shouted Hiyori. She unsheathed her sword and started running towards the woman. "I'm going to make you pay!"

"Calm down Hiyori!" exclaimed Shinji. "Charging in blindly like that will get you killed!" Hiyori froze in her tracks and gave Shinji a cold stare. The woman smirked in amusement.

"Still showing so much care about your nakama as always, Hirako Shinji," she said. "You haven't changed at all since our last encounter six years ago."

"Last encounter? Six years ago?" asked Shinji. Just then, the identity of this woman suddenly dawned upon him. The words she used were exactly the same as the words Aizen had used to address him during the battle of Fake Karakura Town.

"I get it now. You must be Kyoka Suigetsu," he said. The woman nodded.

"Took you long enough to figure out who I was," said the Zanpakuto with a grin.

"What's with that form? I always thought Aizen's Zanpakuto spirit would resemble a beautiful, if scheming, courtesan." Kyoka Suigetsu laughed at Shinji's words.

"Mwa, ha, ha, I'm always amazed at how accurate your intuitions are, Hirako Shinji. Indeed I was a beautiful and conniving courtesan. I admired my beauty and used it to great effect to seduce and deceive people both on behalf of my master and for my own purposes. But now I have become a being that transcends a Zanpakuto spirit or a Shinigami. I am the Queen of Blades, Ame no Uzume Kyoka Suigetsu!"

"Queen of Blades? That is a rather arrogant title to assume," Shinji scoffed. "Are you implying that you are the strongest Zanpakuto?"

"Of course I am!" yelled Kyoka Suigetsu arrogantly. "I possess the greatest abilities of any Zanpakuto. My powers are absolute! No other Zanpakuto can compete against me! You bungled Arrancars all crumbled before my power once before, so what makes you think you can challenge me again?"

"You're mistaken about one thing Suigetsu-san," said Shinji. He and the other Visoreds unsheathed their swords. "The reason for our defeat six years ago wasn't due to your abilities. It was because Aizen himself possessed a level of strength we could never imagine. Even the most powerful Zanpakuto is nothing but a stick in the hands of a novice. Your absolute hypnosis is indeed powerful, but we've all trained ourselves to counteract it. It won't work against us anymore."

"Another reason why we lost back then was because we were all holding back our powers for fear of destroying Karakura Town," said Love. "This time, all of us will be attacking you at full strength!" He and the others placed their left hands over their faces and summoned their hollow masks almost in unison.

"Let's do this," said Shinji. The others nodded. With a fierce battle cry the eight Visoreds charged at Kyoka Suigetsu. Just as they got within striking distance of the Zanpakuto, they were suddenly frozen in mid-air. It was as if an invisible force had immobilized their bodies.

"What the-?" asked Shinji in disbelief. "I can't move my body!" He and the others glanced at Kyoka Suigetsu, who had an evil smirk on her face.

"You Shinigami of the Gotei 13 are so naïve," said Kyoka Suigetsu. "Did you really think absolute hypnosis was the only ability I possessed? Did none of you anticipate that I might possess other abilities that are just as deadly? After all, absolute hypnosis is only my Shikai ability. The abilities of my Bankai form are more powerful." Shinji and the others looked at her with shocked faces. None of them had ever seen Aizen use his Bankai before; they all thought absolute hypnosis was the only ability Kyoka Suigetsu possessed.

"Just as I thought, you Shinigami don't know about my Bankai," said Kyoka Suigetsu. "In that case, allow me to show you my _true_ power." The Zanpakuto brought her hands around her chest and summoned a bright yellow light. The light condensed and solidified into a round two-foot wide mirror. The mirror's surface was plain, but the border of the mirror was covered with pictures depicting the twelve animals of the zodiac.

Shinji and the other Visoreds stared at the mirror with confused faces. They all thought it was a simple mirror, but the moment their eyes saw the mirror's surface they were trapped. The mirror emitted another bright light; Shinji and the others suddenly felt their spiritual bodies being sucked in.

"Shit!" swore Shinji as he realized what was happening.

"It is useless to resist. You were all under the influence of my _Yata no Kagami_ the moment you saw me summon it," said Kyoka Suigetsu with a smug face.

"We're getting sucked in!" exclaimed Love.

"Hang on guys, I'll put up a barrier to protect us!" yelled Hachi. It was too late. Before the Kido Corps lieutenant could even begin a chant they were all sucked into the mirror. The mirror was bathed in a shining light and as the light dissipated the figures of all eight Visoreds could be seen in the mirror's portrait.

Having succeeded in trapping her opponents in her mirror, Kyoka Suigetsu unsummoned it. She then turned her attention to the Ouken.

"At last, nothing stands between me and the destruction of the King's Realm," she said. Tears started flowing down the side of her face. "Aizen-sama, I'll soon make you love me once more." She reached out her hand to draw the Ouken towards her. Just as the Ouken was about to reach her another voice suddenly appeared from behind.

"Stop right there, Kyoka Suigetsu." The Zanpakuto turned around to see the figure of Kurosaki Ichigo. Standing alongside him was Kuchiki Rukia.

"I've been expecting the two of you," said Kyoka Suigetsu. "Did it take you long to figure out where I was?"

"We figured you were going after the real Ouken," said Rukia. "So we asked Kyoraku-san about its location. He was more than willing to transport us here when we told him about you."

"Ha, I wonder what the Captain Commander Yamamoto or the Royal Guard would think if they heard two mere lieutenants learnt about the location of the Ouken!" laughed Kyoka Suigetsu. Instead of responding to the Zanpakuto, Ichigo looked around and saw that Shinji and the other Visoreds were nowhere to be seen. Neither could he feel their spiritual pressures.

"I don't see Hirako-san and the others. Did you defeat them already?" asked Ichigo. Kyoka Suigetsu said nothing, but her smug face told it all.

"That settles it. Whether they're dead or trapped by you makes no difference." Ichigo unsheathed his blade and pointed it at Kyoka Suigetsu. "I'm going to avenge them by defeating you and stopping you from getting your hands on the Ouken!"

* * *

Notes: Sorry for the long delay between updates again! I was too distracted by other matters. I can't guarantee regular updates to this story from now on. I'll probably only update when I get the time to finish a chapter.

Anyway, about the chapter itself, this is the first of three chapters covering the final battle of the Kyoka Suigetsu arc.

I intended for Shinso to betray Kyoka Suigetsu the same way Gin betrayed Aizen. The outcome is pretty similar and it gives me an opportunity to reveal Kyoka Suigetsu's Bankai form, _Ame no Uzume Kyoka Suigetsu_. _Ame no Uzume_ is the name of the Japanese Shinto goddess of dawn and revelry, who is also known as the Great Persuader and The Heavenly Alarming Female. I thought these descriptions fit Kyoka Suigetsu's nature. It also ties into the fact that Aizen himself is named after Aizen Myo-o, the Buddhist god of wisdom.

Kyoka Suigetsu's two Bankai powers, _Yasakani no Magatama _and _Yata no Kagami_, are two of the pieces of the Imperial Regalia of Japan. Both these pieces were used by Ame no Uzume to lure the sun goddess Amaterasu out from a cave.


	39. Chapter 39: Heart of Darkness 2

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

I thought it would be good to recap the Kyoka Suigetsu arc, as readers who haven't followed the storyline may be confused by recent chapters. Here's a rough summary of events in the arc so far:

The Zanpakuto Kyoka Suigetsu and her associates Shinso and Suzumushi break into the Research and Development Institute and steal the research of Kurotsuchi Mayuri. Mayuri's daughter is killed and the 12th division captain himself is driven insane and destroys the Institute. Still reeling from the Institute's destruction, Soul Society is caught off guard when the three rogue Zanpakuto spirits break into the Maggots Nest. Disguised as her master Aizen Sousuke, Kyoka Suigetsu frees the renegade fifth division members who embark upon an uprising, led by the seated officers armed with Zanpauto carrying the powers of the Espada. The rebellion is crushed but in the chaos Shinso and Suzumushi succeed in capturing Matsumoto and Hisagi. Hitsugaya and Komamura lead a rescue team to search for them, while the Visoreds are dispatched by the acting Captain Commander Kyoraku to find Yamamoto. Meanwhile, Ichigo and Rukia, having narrowly escaped death, undergo Bankai training underneath the Sokyoku Hill.

Hinamori is later kidnapped by Kyoka Suigetsu herself disguised as Aizen and taken to Karakura Town, to be used as a sacrifice in a ritual to create the Ouken. Hitsugaya's team and Ichigo learn of the plot and they head to Karakura Town to stop the ritual. In a titanic struggle Hinamori, Matsumoto and Hisagi are rescued and all of the remaining fifth division renegades are killed, as is the Zanpakuto Suzumushi. The Shinigami also suffer greatly, with Komamura forced to sacrifice his Shinigami powers and Hitsugaya and Hinamori are impaled by Kyoka Suigetsu, who had managed to acquire the location of the true Ouken from Kyoraku. She and Shinso head for the Ouken's location, a place called the Heart of Seireitei, deep below Soul Society. The Visoreds manage to escort Yamamoto back to Soul Society and they and Kyoraku learn of Kyoka Suigetsu's plot from Urahara Kisuke. A gigantic demon beast called the 'Doomwalker' suddenly attacks Seireitei and Yamamoto orders Tessai to transport the monster and himself to the far outskirts of Rukongai, so that the Captain Commander can kill it with his Bankai. Kyoraku then sends the Visoreds down into the Heart of Seireitei to stop Kyoka Suigetsu. Ichgo and Rukia also learn of Kyoka Suigetsu's plot and they too are sent to the Heart of Seireitei to help out the Visoreds. Down in the Heart of Seireitei itself, Kyoka Suigetsu attempts to steal the Ouken but is betrayed by Shinso and left to die. She recovers and transforms into a horrifying new form, absorbing Shinso's life essence and turning him into a lifeless sword. The Visoreds confront the transformed Kyoka Suigetsu, but they are quickly defeated when the Zanpakuto unleashes the powers of her Bankai. Just as Kyoka Suigetsu is on the verge of victory, she is stopped by Ichigo and Rukia...

* * *

Chapter 39 Heart of Darkness 2

"You say you intend to defeat me?" asked the mutated Kyoka Suigetsu. She stared at Ichigo and Rukia. The Zanpakuto's heightened senses allowed her to measure precisely how much reiatsu the two Shinigami possessed and even what their capabilities were. She started to chuckle before bursting out in an insane laughter.

"How preposterous Kurosaki Ichigo. I have evolved into a being that far transcends any Shinigami or hollow. The two of you are merely lieutenants who have barely achieved Bankai level power. You don't stand a chance against me!"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," said Rukia with a grin. She unsheathed her sword and held it in both of her hands. "How do you know we don't stance a chance until we fight against you?"

"Oh I know Kuchiki Rukia. I know everything about you and Kurosaki Ichigo. I know all of your strengths and weaknesses. But, just in case the two of you get any naïve conceptions about your chances of winning, I shall utterly crush your hopes with my Bankai."

Kyoka Suigetsu clasped her hands around her chest again and summoned a two-foot wide mirror. Ichigo and Rukia stared at the mirror with surprise, for they could see the figures of Shinji and the others trapped within the mirror's surface.

"I shall send the two of you to join your friends inside this mirror," said Kyoka Suigetsu. "Reflect, _Yata no Kagami_!" The mirror emitted a bright yellow light that engulfed Ichigo and Rukia…

* * *

Shinji opened his eyes and saw a cloud of grey above him. His head was throbbing, but more importantly he found he was floating upon the surface of a body of water. _Am I dead or is this just a dream?_ Thought Shinji. For a second he imagined he was inside his inner world, but then he realized his inner world's sky looked nothing like this. Shinji suddenly lifted himself up and saw he was floating in the middle of what appeared to be a lake. Large green petal-like leaves dotted the surface and small fish could be seen swimming below. As Shinji stood upon the water's surface he tried to ascertain how big the lake was, but he could see nothing further than two metres away, as a thick grey mist obscured his view. However, he could sense the spiritual pressures of his nakama nearby.

"Guys, guys, where are you?" he asked. He started walking around his vicinity and soon found the bodies of his friends floating in the water in the same manner that he did. He knelt beside each one and tried to make them regain consciousness.

"Wake up guys!" shouted Shinji. After a minute or so his friends finally stirred from their slumber. It took them a while to get back up and a few of them muttered foul language as they did so.

"God my head hurts," said Hiyori

"Is everyone okay?" asked Hachigen. Rose, Kensei and Lisa nodded.

"Thanks for waking us up Shinji-san," said Love.

"Looks like Mashiro is still sleeping," said Lisa. The seven of them who were awake stared at their green-haired friend, who was absentmindedly fondling her breasts as slept. Most of them were amused but Kensei was pissed off by this and slapped Mashiro a few times.

"Wake up sleepy head!" he shouted.

"Oww, what was that for baka Kensei?" shouted Mashiro.

"Get up! This is not the time to be sleeping!" As an annoyed Mashiro finally stood up, the rest observed their surroundings.

"Where are we?" asked Rose. "And how did we get here?"

"I have no idea. All I remember is being bathed in a bright yellow light that appeared from the mirror that bitch showed to us," said Shinji.

Just then, the eight Visoreds heard a familiar and despised female voice chuckle nearby. The mist that was hovering over the water started to dissipate and soon they could see they were standing in the middle of what appeared to be no more than a pond. In front of them was a large ornate pavilion, similar to the ones belonging to the Great Noble Houses. A long flight of steps led up to an ornate throne in the middle of the pavilion. Sitting upon the throne was none other than Kyoka Suigetsu. She appeared to them not as a grotesque snake like monster, but in the form of a striking woman wearing a lavish red kimono.

"I welcome all of you to my palace, bungled Arrancars," said Kyoka Suigetsu. She stood up and walked towards them.

"So this is your inner world," said Shinji.

"Correct. The ability of my _Yata no Kagami_ sucked you all into this place. I have absolute power over this realm, so escape is impossible."

"So what are you going to do with us now? Are you going to kill us all?"

"No, I'm going to play a little game with you, slaves of mine." An evil grin appeared on Kyoka Suigetsu's face. With a gesture of her hand, the Zanpakuto somehow made the entire world change in an instance. Instead of standing in a pond in the middle of a pavilion, they were now in the middle of a forest at night. It was a forest that seemed awfully familiar to Shinji. _This place is…_

He and the others looked up, and their jaws almost dropped off in shock. Where the Zanpakuto Kyoka Suigetsu had been standing mere moments before now stood none other than Aizen. He was dressed in a plain black Shihakusho and had a lieutenant's badge around his left arm.

"I hope you are all familiar with this place,'' said Kyoka Suigetsu in Aizen's voice, "I prepared this scene specifically for your enjoyment." Shinji and his friends quickly realized what she was talking about. They were back at the place where each of them had been hollowfied by Aizen, Gin and Tousen.

"I want to see the horrified expressions on your faces as you relieve the moment you all died as Shinigami." Shinji looked on in horror as one by one his nakama were suddenly transformed into the hideous hollow monsters they had been before Urahara had saved him.

"Kyoka Suigetsu you bitch!" he swore. He tried to attack her, but as soon as he took one step Shinji was also hollowfied. He collapsed onto his knees as the left side of his body was slowly covered by hollow miasma.

"This time there will be no Urahara Kisuke to save you. You will all die here, as you should have done on that night so many years ago." Kyoka Suigetsu, still disguised as Aizen, watched on with glee as each of the Visoreds relived their nightmarish hollowfication experience.

* * *

Ichigo and Rukia opened their eyes as the scathing white light that had shined upon them disappeared. They saw Kyoka Suigetsu standing there, holding a mirror in her hands.

"What just happened?" asked Rukia. "I thought we were going to be sucked into that mirror." Ichigo said nothing, but noticed that Kyoka Suigetsu was visibly shaken. The mutated Zanpakuto was shocked that the two Shinigami were still standing.

"Impossible, my _Yata no Kagami_ should have sucked you both into my inner world!" she screamed in frustration.

"So that's what happened to Hirako-san and the others," said Ichigo. "I'm guessing they're currently inside your inner world right now."

"If Hirako Taicho and his team were sucked into the mirror then how come we aren't affected?" asked Rukia. Ichigo grinned at Rukia. He then pointed his left index finger at Kyoka Suigetsu's mirror.

"I know the reason. That mirror of yours works on the same principles that your absolute hypnosis does," said Ichigo. "Its effect only applies against people who are under the effects of Kanzen Saimin. Rukia and I have never been subjected to your hypnosis ritual, so it is no surprise that the mirror's power does not affect us. Rukia, we have nothing to fear from her. Let's fight her with our full strength."

"You got it Ichigo," Rukia nodded. The two of them held out their swords in front of them and called out "Bankai!" in unison. A cloud of dust and reishi obscured their bodies as they underwent a quick transformation. A few seconds later Ichigo and Rukia emerged in their Bankai outfits. Ichigo held his black nodachi with the elongated manji cross guard in his right hand and pointed it at Kyoka Suigetsu. Rukia had no sword in her arms; instead a steady stream of snow and ice surrounded her body.

"Your petty tricks and illusions will not work upon us Kyoka Suigetsu," said Ichigo.

"We'll free Hirako Taicho and his nakama from your inner world and then we'll defeat you for good," said Rukia in a confident voice.

After hearing their words, Kyoka Suigetsu suddenly let her mirror drop from her hands. It landed on the ground and shattered into pieces.

"It is a shame," said Kyoka Suigetsu. "I had hoped to spare you pain and suffering by defeating killing in a quick manner. But it appears that I must do things the hard way." The Zanpakuto summoned a copy of Aizen's sword in her right hand. "I shall crush the two of you with my _Kusanagi no Tsurugi_."

"We're not going to give you a chance to use it. Let's go Rukia!" exclaimed Ichigo. Without warning, he attacked Kyoka Suigetsu, thrusting his black nodachi at the Zanpakuto. When the first strike was blocked, Ichigo followed it with a succession of thrusts and slashes, using successive flash steps to attack her from multiple angles.

"No bad Kurosaki Ichigo. Your attacks are fast and hard," complimented Kyoka Suigetsu. "But you're going to have to do better than that." With a swing of her sword the Zanpakuto forced Ichigo back. The orange haired Shinigami nodded at Rukia, who started her assault. Rukia summoned forth torrents of snow and ice and controlled them by waving her arms around in big sweeping motions. The snow buffeted Kyoka Suigetsu, pushing the Zanpakuto backwards and forcing her to put up a shield to prevent herself from being frozen.

As Rukia distracted Kyoka Suigetsu with her snow Ichigo charged reiryoku into his sword as he readied an attack.

"_Getsuga Tensho_!" shouted Ichigo. He swung his nodachi at Kyoka Suigetsu, firing a crescent shaped blast of black and red spiritual energy. The attack flew towards Kyoka Suigetsu. Ichigo hoped it would penetrate the Zanpakuto's guard as her attention was being distracted by Rukia's snow. Unfortunately for him, Kyoka Suigetsu shook off the snow a few milliseconds before the Getsuga hit and blocked the attack with her left arm. The black and red spirit energy managed to cut slightly into the Zanpakuto's skin, before it was batted away.

"That combination move should have dealt her serious damage," said Rukia. "But she's barely scratched.

"Heh, did you really think those moves could seriously harm me?" asked Kyoka Suigetsu. "They were little more than bee stings. It is now my turn to attack. Let me show you the powers of the Queen of Blades, the ultimate Zanpakuto!"

With a single motion of her arms, Kyoka Suigetsu somehow caused the waters of the reishi ocean to rise up like a tsunami. Ichigo was surprised at this feat, but Rukia was trembling at the sight.

"That's, that's Nejibana's move!" she exclaimed. She recalled how Kaien's Zanpakuto had summoned a wave of water in his Bankai form when he had fought her in Karakura Town.

"Surprised Kuchiki Rukia? Through the power of my _Yasakani no Magatama_, I can use the moves of every single other Zanpakuto I have touched!" laughed Kyoka Suigetsu. With a second wave of her arms the Zanpakuto caused the wave of water to crash against the section of the walkway that Ichigo and Rukia were standing on. The two Shinigami leaped into the air instinctively, a move that saved their lives, for as soon as the entire portion of the water was disintegrated by the water. The two of them landed on another section of the walkway several metres back. They looked up to see another wave of water heading towards them.

"Shit, if we get hit by that water we'll die instantly," said Ichigo.

"Ichigo, I'll stop this wave," said Rukia. "You focus on attacking her directly." She summoned a stream of snow and ice at the wave of water. The snow and ice stopped the wave in its tracks. The two elemental forces cancelled each other out, as the snow froze the water while the water disintegrated the snow. Rukia put more and more power into the stream of snow and pushed the wave of water back. As she was doing this, Ichigo used the opportunity to attack Kyoka Suigetsu. He flew towards the Zanpakuto again, but before he could get within ten metres of her he suddenly saw a blade flying towards him. Ichigo barely managed to avoid being stabbed in the eyes as the blade streaked past his face.

"What the hell?" he asked. The blade retracted a second later and Ichigo could see that the blade belonged to Kyoka Suigetsu's sword. The Zanpakuto extended her sword outwards again and Ichigo managed to block it with his sword. _This is Ichimaru's Gin's Bankai Kamishini no Yari_, thought the two swords clashed, Ichigo's eyes widened in surprise when the other blade started to cut through his black nodachi. He used Getsuga to strengthen his blade and parry Kyoka Suigetsu's sword.

"What do you think of my sword _Kusanagi no Tsurugi_, Kurosaki Ichigo?" asked Kyoka Suigetsu. "Not only can I extend and retract like Shinso but it has the highest cutting attack power of any sword in Soul Society. Your flimsy Bankai blade is like butter compared to it!" The Zanpakuto proceeded to extend and retract her sword in rapid succession, mirroring the _Buto_ _Renjin_ move that Ichimaru Gin had used against Ichigo. It was his familiarity with this move alone that saved Ichigo from being instantly skewered by the rapid succession of thrusts.

Kyoka Suigetsu's fixation with Ichigo caused her to lose focus on Rukia, and the petite Shinigami tried to take advantage of this by firing a powerful blast of snow and ice at the Zanpakuto. However, Kyoka Suigetsu saw the attack coming and jumped into the aid at the last moment.

"No!" shouted Rukia in despair.

"Ha, thought you could land a sneak attack on me little girl?" asked Kyoka Suigetsu. "Take this!" The mutated Zanpakuto pointed her left index finger at Rukia and fired what appeared to be a black cero blast at her. Rukia barely managed to jump into the air, as the blast demolished a huge section of the walkway in large explosion that caused ripples across the reishi ocean's surface. The shockwave from the blast blew Rukia back several metres before she could stop herself.

"You're going to pay for that Kyoka Suigetsu!" yelled Ichigo. He charged the spirit energy in his Bankai sword to maximum and then fired a full power _Getsuga_ at Kyoka Suigetsu. The enormous crescent shaped energy blast flew towards Kyoka Suigetsu at rapid speed. To Ichigo's astonishment, Kyoka Suigetsu countered his attacked by firing a crescent shaped energy blast of her own. The two blasts impacted with one another, creating a massive shockwave that knocked Ichigo backwards. He righted himself, before forcing more power into his _Getsuga_ in an attempt to push back Kyoka Suigetsu's attack.

"Let's see who will win this tug of war, your _Getsuga_ or my _Tsuruga_," said Kyoka Suigetsu. The Zanpakuto intensified her reiatsu into her energy blast as she and Ichigo engaged in a fierce tug of war.

"Ichigo, I'll attack her from behind," said Rukia. She summoned the Shikai version of her Zanpakuto in her hands and flash stepped behind Kyoka Suigetsu.

"Wait Rukia!" Ichigo called out. Rukia started charging up for a _Hakuren_ attack but before she could complete it Kyoka Suigetsu sensed her presence.

"Trying a sneak attack again? I thought I told you they won't work on me stupid girl!" laughed Kyoka Suigetsu. She turned around and slashed at Rukia with her left hand. Rukia screamed in pain as five 'claws' of blue spirit energy sliced through her shoulders and chest and ripped the top half of her clothes to shreds. Kyoka Suigetsu then summoned a long spear of light green spirit energy in her left hand.

"I'll finish you off first Kuchiki Rukia," said Kyoka Suigetsu. "_Lanza del Relampago_!" The monstrous Zanpakuto threw her energy spear at the fallen Shinigami.

"RUKIA!" screamed Ichigo at the top of his voice. He flash stepped in front of Rukia just as the energy spear was about to hit her. The tip of the lance impacted with Ichigo's back and detonated, creating a rapidly expanding shockwave of energy that then exploded in a column of green coloured fire. The column rose high enough that it touched the ceiling of the immense chamber and caused ten metre high tsunami waves to smash against sections of the walkway.

The intensity of the explosion had blinded Rukia, and for a moment she thought she was going to be consumed by the flames. As she regained her eyesight, Rukia saw the figure of Ichigo standing in front of him, with his arms stretched out. She let out a horrified gasp. Ichigo's torso had been horribly burnt, with all of his clothes from the waist up disintegrated. There was a nasty hole in his stomach region, from which a large amount of blood was steadily flowing.

"Are you alright Rukia?" asked Ichigo. He smiled, even though there was blood flowing from his mouth.

"I'm fine baka. You should be worried about yourself!" cried Rukia. "Just look at you." Ichigo chuckled before he suddenly collapsed. Rukia caught him in her arms to stop him from falling into the deadly reishi ocean below. A moment later, the Zanpakuto Kyoka Suigetsu flash stepped in front of the two Shinigami. Ichigo and Rukia both looked up and stared at her.

"I am disappointed, Kurosaki Ichigo and Kuchiki Rukia. I expected more from the two of you," said Kyoka Suigetsu. "Especially you, Kurosaki Ichigo. I've been assisting your growth ever since you died and came to Soul Society. Yet despite all of my efforts you are still less powerful now than you were when you defeated my master Aizen-sama."

Ichigo was too exhausted to make a response, while Rukia was scared out of her wits. She watched in horror as Kyoka Suigetsu raised her sword above her head.

"This is the end," said the Zanpakuto in a cold emotionless voice.

* * *

As Ichigo and Rukia were fighting Kyoka Suigetsu outside in the Heart of Seireitei's chamber, the eight Visoreds were engaged in a similar struggle in the Zanpakuto's inner world. And just like Ichigo and Rukia, the Visoreds were on the verge of losing. They had struggled mightily against the hollowfication process, resisting the effects of the virus for more than half an hour, but their energy reserves and morale were just about exhausted.

Still disguised as her master Aizen, the Zanpakuto Kyoka Suigetsu observed the Visoreds seemingly futile efforts to prevent themselves from turning into hollows. She was getting rather annoyed that none of the eight Shinigami had fully succumbed yet.

"Still won't give up bungled Arrancars?" asked Kyoka Suigetsu. "Why do you continue to resist? You're all going to turn into hollows and die so wouldn't it better to just give in and accept a quick and painless death? Or do you still cling to a vain hope that someone is going save you?" Of all the Visoreds, only Shinji still had the strength to lift his head up and stare at Kyoka Suigetsu. The expression on his infuriated the Zanpakuto.

"From the looks on your face, it appears that you are still clinging to a hope that someone will come to your rescue. Perhaps someone like Kurosaki Ichigo? Well, I guess should show you something that will crush what little hope you still have."

With a wave of her hand Kyoka Suigetsu made a monitor screen appear out of nowhere. The monitor screen was showing the faces of Ichigo and Rukia. They were covered in blood and panting heavily.

"Look, this is what is going on outside," said Kyoka Suigetsu. "Kurosaki Ichigo and Kuchiki Rukia have both been defeated by me, and I am just about to kill them." Shinji and some of the other Visoreds stared at the monitor and at Ichigo and Rukia's faces.

"Ha, ha, ha, I bet all of you hopes have been utterly crushed now!" Kyoka Suigetsu laughed madly.

"You're wrong," said Shinji. "Our hopes haven't been crushed by seeing that image. Far from it. In actual fact, seeing Ichigo and Rukia's faces has renewed the confidence and resolve we had almost lost before." With sheer willpower, Shinji heaved himself onto his knees. "Ichigo and Rukia are still fighting hard out there. They aren't giving up despite the insurmountable odds they face. And neither should we! Right guys?

"Damn straight!" the seven other Visoreds shouted in unison. They willed themselves to stand up, and in a move that utterly shocked and astonished Kyoka Suigetsu and caused her Aizen disguise to shatter, all eight of them tore off the hollow masks that had formed over their heads. This caused their bodies to revert to their normal state, completely undoing the hollowfication process.

"This can't be happening! How did you manage to reverse the hollowfication process?" exclaimed Kyoka Suigetsu. "It's impossible! My abilities are absolute!"

"Heh, you overestimate your abilities Kyoka Suigetsu," Shinji grinned. "Had you been capable initiating the real hollowfication process, all of us would have been dead in seconds. Everything we experienced was but an illusion designed to fool our senses. You intended to kill us by having our minds succumb despair as we relived out trauma. But you made the mistake of assuming we couldn't see through the illusion."

As Shinji spoke, the forest they were standing in vanished around them and they were once again standing in the pool of water in front of the large pavilion.

"I'm sick and tired of this charade. Let's just kill this bitch and get the fuck out of here," said Kensei. Love and Rose concurred. The eight Visoreds all unsheathed their swords and proceeded to pull out their hollow masks. The sheer amount of spiritual pressure the combined group was emitting knocked Kyoka Suigetsu backwards, and the Zanpakuto was forced to retreat to the throne at the top of the stairs.

"This can't be happening. I am the one in absolute control of this world! How can they be emitting just reiatsu!" screamed Kyoka Suigetsu in exasperation. Her eyes widened in terror as she saw the Visoreds charge up their Ceros.

"Sayonara Kyoka Suigetsu," said Shinji. The Visoreds fired their Ceros in unison, and the crimson energy beams engulfed the palace. The Zanpakuto screamed as her entire body was burnt to ashes. The pavilion was obliterated in a smoldering column of fire and within seconds was reduced to a pile of cinders.

* * *

At the same moment in the outside world, Kyoka Suigetsu was about to kill Ichigo and Rukia with her sword. Just as she started to swing her sword down, she froze in shock and screamed loudly. She suddenly dropped her sword and clutched her chest. Ichigo and Rukia looked on with confusion as the Zanpakuto started spewing blood from her mouth.

"Seems like something is wrong with her," said Rukia. As they watched Kyoka Suigetsu thrash around in the air, Ichigo was somehow filled with a burst of energy and resolve.

"Now's our chance Rukia. Let's strike her whilst she's weak!" he exclaimed.

"You're right, Ichigo! Let's do it!" Rukia nodded. The two Shinigami stood up, ignoring the wounds they suffered and the fact their clothes were in tatters.

"Rukia, can you immobilize her arms and legs?" asked Ichigo.

"Sure can. Just watch me!" Rukia channeled her remaining spiritual energy into a stream of snow. She split the stream into six smaller streams and directed each of the streams to one of Kyoka Suigetsu's body parts. The snow quickly engulfed the Zanpakuto's arms and legs, pulling them outwards until she took on a star-shaped appearance. The snow and ice then hardened into solid ice, and within a few seconds the ice encasing Kyoka Suigetsu resembled a snow flower petal.

"_Saigo no Mai_, _Byakuhana_." said Rukia. The gigantic snow crystalline structure bound Kyoka Suigetsu's arms and legs so tightly that even if the Zanpakuto hadn't been struck with the sudden chest pain, it would be nearly impossible her to break free.

"She's all yours Ichigo!" Rukia's shout was Ichigo's signal to begin his attack. He charged up a _Getsuga Tensho_ in his nodachi but instead of releasing it he kept the attack inside the blade and flash stepped in front of Kyoka Suigetsu. Ichigo thrust his sword right through the Zanpakuto's chest and released his _Getsuga_. The dark crimson energy blast tore a hole the size of a tennis ball right through Kyoka Suigetsu's chest, utterly destroying her soul sleep and soul booster. The Zanpakuto let out a scream so loud and powerful that Ichigo's ear drums almost burst.

* * *

At the same moment, inside Kyoka Suigetsu's inner world, the Visoreds were desperately trying to find a way out as the world was collapsing around.

"Shit does this place even have an exit?" asked Hiyori.

"I don't want to die here!" cried Mashiro.

"Hachi can you make a portal to the outside world?" asked Shinji.

"I'm afraid I can't Shinji-san. I do not know what links this world with the world outside, and in any case it would be dangerous to make a portal in such an unstable environment," said Hachi.

"Damn it are we going to be stuck here and die?" swore Kensei.

Just as they were all about to lose hope they suddenly saw a rift open nearby. Dark crimson light surrounded the rift and as they took a closer look the Visoreds realized they could see the outside world. More importantly it was large enough to fit several people side by side.

"It's a portal to the outside!" exclaimed Love.

"Quick let's go through it before it closes!" shouted Shinji. On his command the eight of them jumped through the rift.

* * *

Ichigo retracted his blade when he sensed Kyoka Suigetsu's body was about to explode. He and Rukia flash stepped down onto the walkway below as they watched the monstrous Zanpakuto's undergo multiple spasms. Utterly exhausted, both of them returned their Zanpakutos to their sealed states.

"No, this can't be happening! I am the Queen of Blades! The Ultimate Zanpakuto! The Perfect Being!" screeched Kyoka Suigetsu. With eyes that were literally bleeding blood, the Zanpakuto in her murderous rage tried to unleash one last attack against Ichigo and Rukia. But before she could do so her chest suddenly burst open, spewing forth a torrent of blood. Then, to the surprise of Ichigo and Rukia, eight figures suddenly emerged from the hold in Kyoka Suigetsu's chest.

"Look, it's Hirako-san and his nakama!" exclaimed Ichigo. He and Rukia were amazed and glad to see Shinji and the other Visoreds appear before them, looking awfully tired but thankfully alive.

"Yo Ichigo! It's good to see you again," said Shinji with a grin.

"You too Hirako-san," said Ichigo. The Visoreds dropped down to the walkway beside Ichigo and Rukia.

"We must thank you and Rukia-chan. If it hadn't been for your heroic struggle, we would never have freed ourselves from that darn bitch's inner world."

"You don't have to thank us Hirako Taicho," said Rukia. "You would have done the same if we had been the ones trapped inside."

The ten Shinigami watched as the defeated Kyoka Suigetsu, with a huge hole in her torso, her arms and legs half torn off and her wings smashed to pieces, started falling.

"He loves me…he loves me not," the Zanpakuto muttered. "He loves me…he loves me not…"

"Ha, that bitch has lost it!" laughed Hiyori.

"She must have been obsessed with her master Aizen," said Shinji. "Everything she did was done so that she could win his love and affection."

"I guess she must have been jealous of Aizen's infatuation with the Hogyoku," said Ichigo. He felt a tinge of sadness in his heart as he saw Kyoka Suigetsu plummet into the waters of the reishi ocean. The Zanpakuto thrashed about in the water several times before she sunk below the surface. Knowing how deadly the water was, Ichigo knew there was not a chance she could survive.

"Come on, let's go back," said Shinji. Ichigo, Rukia and the other Visoreds nodded. The ten Shinigami got up and made their way back along the devastated walkway. They managed to cover only about a hundred metres or so before they all sensed an eruption of spiritual pressure nearby. It was coming from below the surface of the reishi ocean.

"It can't be!" exclaimed Ichigo.

"That's...Kyoka Suigetsu's reiatsu…" said Shinji. None of the Shinigami could believe that the nefarious female Zanpakuto was still alive.

"The water of that ocean is made of Sekki-sekki, it should have completely dissolved her body," said Rukia. About a hundred metres away from the walkway, the surface of the ocean started to bubble and churn. Then with large splash the half-dead body of Kyoka Suigetsu emerged from the water. Half of her face had been eaten away and her entire lower body had disappeared.

"That thing isn't human anymore," said Hachi. The others all agreed with him.

"**Aizen-sama, you will never take my love for Aizen-sama away from me**!" screamed Kyoka Suigetsu. The Zanpakuto let out a monstrous howl so loud that all of the Shinigami were forced to cover their ears less their eardrums burst. Then Kyoka Suigetsu's body started mutating rapidly, becoming a huge purple coloured mass of skin and guts. The mass expanded outwards and eight tendrils split off from the main mess. The tendrils solidified and soon Ichigo and the others were staring at the heads of eight giant snakes, their necks rising some fifty feet above the water. The necks were attached to a large body that was submerged below the surface.

"What kind of monster is that?" asked Mashiro.

"I think I've seen one of these creatures before," said Hachigen. "I believe they are called the _Yamata no Orochi_, or eight headed snake."

"We've got to fight that?" Rukia gulped. Ichigo shared her worry. Both of them were exhausted and their bodies covered with wounds. However, both of them knew that the battle was not finished yet. Ichigo gripped his sword and was about to release his Zanpakuto when he was stopped by Shinji.

"You and Rukia-chan should rest Ichigo. Leave this monster to us," said Shinji.

* * *

Notes: This is by far the longest and important chapter in the story so far, for it represents the climax of the Kyoka Suigetsu arc. I tried to make the final battle against Kyoka Suigetu as epic as possible, and also unique. One of the ways I did this was to emphasise the importance of teamwork and tactics. I always thought there wasn't enough battles in the Bleach manga that featured good teamwork and tactics, so having a battle where the good guys could only win through a combination of moves against an overpowered enemy would make my story far more refreshing to read.

Kyoka Suigetsu's powers are another aspect of the chapter I worked hard on. I wanted to make her Bankai more powerful than her Shikai but not so that it was completely broken. Her Bankai's three main abilities, _Yata no Kagami_, _Yasakani no Magatama_ and _Kusanagi no Tsurugi, _are all treasures that form part of the Japanese Imperial family. The _Kusanagi no Tsurugi_ is the legendary sword that was wielded by the Japanese god Susanoo who used it to slay the Yamata no Orochi. Kyoka Suigetsu having this sword is meant to symbolise an irony, since she herself becomes the eight headed snake that her sword is meant to slay.

Rukia shows another Bankai ability in this chapter. Her move, _Saigo no Mai Byakuhana, _means 'Final Dance, White Flowers' in Japanese.


	40. Chapter 40: Heart of Darkness 3

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

*Author's Note: Regular updates of this fanstory will finally resume after a hiatus of six months. I aplogize to all the readers who have waited this long for an update. Writer's block and other commitments are partially to blame for the long break.^^

* * *

Chapter 40 Heart of Darkness 3

"What do you mean Hirako-san?" asked Ichigo. "We can still fight!" Ichigo tried to get up but Shinji forcibly pushed him to his knees.

"Don't push yourself Ichigo. I can tell that you and Rukia-chan are both nearly out of reiatsu," said Shinji. "The wounds you have suffered are also quite serious. You two are in no position to fight anymore. You've both done enough against Kyoka Suigetsu to earn medals of bravery. You should leave it to us to finish the job."

Ichigo looked at Rukia and when she nodded her head he had no choice but to accept Shinji's words. He resheathed his sword and knelt beside Rukia.

"Alright guys, let's do this," said Shinji. The eight Visoreds faced off against the monstrous eight headed snake. The heads of the snake reared back and let out a combined screech that sent shockwaves of air pressure reverberating throughout the entire chamber.

"Gosh, its breath is really stinky," said Mashiro.

"We've got bigger things to worry about than the smell of its breath," said Lisa. The eight snake heads started charging balls of energy from their mouths. The amount of spiritual pressure contained within each of the balls was immense.

"Those balls are aimed at us!" exclaimed Rukia.

"If they destroy the platform we're standing on we'll fall into the water," said Ichigo.

"Don't worry guys, I've got this covered," said Shinji. He started spinning the hilt of his Zanpakuto around in circles, saying the words "Collapse, _Sakanade_" as he did so. The pommel of his sword transformed into a large ring that allowed Shinji to spin it around without using his hands. The blade itself changed shape slightly and grew five holes along its length. Shinji held his transformed Zanpakuto by its pommel in front of his body.

"Incoming!" exclaimed Hiyori. The eight snake heads finished charging and in unison fired concentrated streams of red energy at the Shinigami. Within the few milliseconds between the firing of the streams and their inevitable impact, Shinji chanted the words "_Mirror Force_". This caused the streams of energy to hit an invisible barrier and rebound off it. The eight snake heads were hit and decapitated by their own attacks.

"You did it Hirako-san," said Ichigo. The monster however was far from finished. The eight headless necks continued to thrash about and within seconds flesh started to grow from the wounds.

"It's regenerating!" exclaimed Lisa. Before the Shinigami could do anything all eight of the snake heads had grown back.

"Hachi, restrain them!" shouted Shinji.

"Got it Shinji-san," said Hachi. The fat Visored clapped his hands together before spreading his palms outwards. Eight yellow tendrils of light shot out from his fingers. The tendrils wrapped around each of the snake heads' necks, completely constricting their movement. With a great heave Hachi pulled all eight of the snake heads towards him until they crashed against the walkway. The other Visoreds along with Ichigo and Rukia jumped into the air to avoid being hit by the snake heads. In a final binding movement, Hachi caused eight black pillars to materialize and crash down upon the necks of each snake head, completely pinning them down. As the snake heads thrashed uselessly in their attempts to break free of the pillars, the main body of the creature rose up from the water. A large hideous mouth appeared, revealing two sets of three foot long fangs that were flowing with drool. The mouth let out a monstrous scream. Then an enormous diamond shaped cat-like eye appeared. The surface of the eye was more than ten metres across. It blinked at the Shinigami several times.

"Guys, I think I see something underneath the eye," said Mashiro. The others looked at the eye closely and they too saw a figure lying beneath the eye's surface.

"You are right Mashiro. It looks look like Kyoka Suigetsu's real body," said Rose.

"That must be the monster's weak spot," said Shinji. "Everyone attack the eye! If we can break through the eyelid and harm Kyoka Suigetsu's real body, we can destroy this monster!"

Ichigo and Rukia watched in awe as all the Visoreds except for Shinji and Hachi commenced an all out attack upon the monster's giant eye.

"You don't need to order me around Shinji!" yelled Hiyori. She raised her Zanpakuto above her head and shouted "Chop cleanly, _Kubikiri Orochi_!" The katana turned into a giant cleaver with serrated edges on one side. The serrated edges started vibrating rapidly until the blade basically became a chainsaw. Hiyori thrust her chainsaw blade down at the surface of the monster's eyes. The serrated edges started cutting through the mirror-like surface, creating a foot long crack. Then all of a sudden Hiyori was blown back into the air by an invisible force.

"Whoa!" cried Hiyori. She was prevented from flying back any further when Shinji caught her in his arms.

"Don't be so careless Hiyori. This monster should not be underestimated," said Shinji.

"I don't need you to lecture me baka Shinji." Hiyori tried to attack the monster's eye again but she was stopped by Lisa.

"Take it easy Hiyori-chan. You've done enough damage," said Lisa. She slammed the hilt of her Zanpakuto in the bottom of her scabbard, chanting the words "Smash, _Haguro Tonbo_!" as she did so. Her already lengthy nodachi transformed into a six foot long pole arm with a massive monk's spade at the front end and a large weighted ball at the other end. She twirled the pole arm above her above numerous times before she slammed the monk's spade down at the crack that Hiyori had already made in the monster's eye. The small crack became a crevice as Lisa successfully dug her spade right through the eye's surface.

"I've managed to penetrate the eyelid!" exclaimed Lisa.

"Nice Lisa-chan! I'm going to make another crack," said Mashiro. The high spirited green haired girl leaped into the air and pulled out her Zanpakuto, a sawn-off Wazikashi and almost resembled a large hunting knife. She thrust her Zanpakuto at her feet and shouted "Kick out, _Kazekyaku_!" The Zanpakuto exploded outwards and its individual components materialized around both of Mashiro's feet, forming a pair of white metallic boots that emitted a constant stream of wind. The gusts of wind that swirled around the boots sounded like the chirp of crickets.

"Here I go!" shouted Mashiro. She landed on the monster's eye and started kicking her legs rapidly. The gusts of wind from her boots were shaped into drills that punctured the surface of the eye. Mashiro gradually increased the speed of her kicks until they were as fast as fire from a machine gun. She continued her barrage for a whole minute and when she finished there were over five hundred inch-wide holes in the eyes' surface. Mashiro then peered down through the holes she had made and saw a glimpse of the figure of a woman lying underneath the eye.

"Lisa-chan, do you see that woman down there?" asked Mashiro.

"I do. That must be Kyoka Suigetsu's true form," said Lisa.

Just then the two of them saw the eyes of the woman glow a bright yellow in colour. Then all of a sudden Lisa and Mashiro were blown into the air by an invisible source. They were caught by Rose and Kensei.

"Are you alright Lisa-chan, Mashiro-chan?" asked Rose.

"We're fine," said Lisa.

"That Kyoka Suigetsu must still have a lot of power in reserve if she is capable of blowing us back with spiritual pressure alone," said Kensei. "We can't simply attack the monster's eyelid in a piecemeal fashion. We have to penetrate the surface in one blow!"

The silver-haired Visored released his hold on Mashiro and proceeded to hover above the eye. He took out his Zanpakuto, a twelve inch long combat knife.

"Bankai, _Tekken Tachikaze_!" shouted Kensei. The combat knife transformed into a pair of knuckle blades that Kensei gripped with both hands. Segmented purple bands then covered both of his arms and shoulders, with a large purple arch band around his neck and two bands tapering off behind his arms.

"Take my iron fist monster," said Kensei. He clasped his hands together so that the knuckle blades were jutting out. Then he brought both arms behind his torso, facing away from the giant monster's eye.

"_Tachiken_!" shouted Kensei. He thrust his arms outwards again and fired a massive blast of blue coloured wind energy. The blast slammed into the monster's eye and tore a five metre wide hole right through the surface. It then proceeded to hit the shadowy figure that was lying beneath the eye, causing the monster to let out hideous shriek. Then the eight snake heads that were still restrained by Hachi's pillars began to thrash violently.

"Guys, the snake heads are going to break free soon!" Hachi exclaimed. "You'd better hurry!"

"I'll break the eye in a single attack," said Rose. He held his Zanpakuto with both hands and proceeded to spin it around by its handle. As the sword spun around Rose called out "Bankai." The spinning katana glowed brightly and grew in size. It transformed into what appeared to a giant trumpet-like instrument. Rose held the instrument by the handle, with his left hand placed over a series of five keys. The other end of the instrument was a giant horn at least two feet wide and more than six feet long.

"_Daikandeki Kinshara_," said Rose. "My greatest instrument. Let me use it to play my greatest song! _Tiosokyokyu Dai Goban_, _Carmina Burana_!" Rose blew into the mouthpiece at the end of the handle and pressed a complicated sequence of keys. This caused the trumpet to blow out thousands of condensed super high frequency sound waves per second. The sound waves slammed into the monster's eye, and the rapid vibrations created by the waves caused the eye's surface to lose its integrity. Within a few seconds the entire eye shattered into millions of pieces. The now eyeless monster screamed in pain and its eight snake heads started thrashing around even more violently.

"Kyoka Suigetsu's true body is exposed! Now's our chance to finish her for good!" exclaimed Rose.

"Let me finish her off Rose-san," said Love. He motioned to Rose to get out of the way, before jumping high above the monster. Love held his Zanpakuto above his head and screamed the word "Bankai!" Within seconds a gigantic being materialized behind Love's body. The being resembled a giant tengu, a half-human half-crow monster that wore a red mask with an extremely long nose. The tengu wore black cloak of feathers that covered its entire body. It held in its right hand an enlarged version of Love's Shikai, a huge Kanabo club covered with spikes.

"_Daitengumaruoh_!" shouted Love. He leaped onto the tengu's head, before climbing down a catch that led to a cockpit inside the creature's brain. He used the controls inside the cockpit to control the tengu's movement, directing his Bankai to hold its club upside down. The club ignited in a blaze of flames.

"Take this foul monster! _Hifuki no Kozuchi_!" shouted Love. The giant tengu slammed its club down at the now empty eye socket of the monster, releasing a scorching column of flames that engulfed the real body of Kyoka Suigetsu. The fellow Shinigami hovering on the sidelines heard a terrible shriek followed by the eruption of a high pressure column of fire that shot up several hundred metres towards the ceiling of the dome. As the fire column slowly dissipated, they could see the scorched and charred figure of Kyoka Suigetsu. Having reverted back to her original form, her body was now broken. The hideous monster with eight snake heads she had transformed into disintegrated.

"I'm sorry Aizen-sama. I couldn't win your love and affection," cried Kyoka Suigetsu. What seemed like tears of blood appeared to stream down her face. The Zanpakuto started falling and midway through her fall her materialized body disappeared, replaced by an ordinary katana. Ichigo and the others watched with amazement as the sword fell onto a portion of the bridge next to where the snake heads had been pinned down.

For a while, everyone stood silent and contemplated what had happened. The Heart of Seireitei was a shattered wreck, with more than half of the bridge spanning the Seirei ocean having been destroyed. Yet the portal to the King's Realm had not been damaged, and the objective they had all fought hard to protect, the Ouken, was still hovering in its original place.

"It's finally over," said Ichigo. He breathed a sigh of relief as he dropped down to the bridge. His Bankai having ended, his Shihakusho was now a tattered mess.

"I am glad that we survived this nightmarish experience," said Rukia. Her robes were also torn, and only a thin thread of clothe prevented her chest from exposed.

"It is time we went back," said Shinji. "I'm sick and tired of this place."

"Yeah me too," said Love.

"What are we going to do about all of the destruction we've caused?" asked Mashiro.

"We'll let the old man take the blame. It's not like those royal guards are going to notice all the shit that's happened out here," said Kensei.

"Um guys, what should we do with this?" asked Hachi. He held out the sealed blade form of Kyoka Suigetsu in his right hand. "I think leaving this here would be too dangerous."

"You're right. There is a possibility she could materialize again," said Shinji. "We'll take it with us and have the Zanpakuto locked up in one of the underground prison's storage cells."

As Ichigo glanced at the sealed form of Kyoka Suigetsu, his eyes caught sight of another katana lying on the ground nearby. He walked over to the katana and saw that it was broken in half. As he examined the sword, he noticed the distinctive oval shape of the tsuba. At this moment, Ichigo had a sudden realization. _This Zanpakuto is…_

"What are you looking at Ichigo?" asked Rukia. Ichigo showed the broken Zanpakuto.

"I think this used to be _Shinso_, Ichimaru Gin's Zanpakuto," said Ichigo.

"Did you say _Shinso_?" exclaimed Shinji in surprise. He walked over to Ichigo and examined the sword closely. After a close inspection of the sword, Shinji shook his head and walked away in disgust.

"What do you think Hirako-san?" asked Ichigo.

"It's definitely Gin's Zanpakuto. I'm not sure what happened to it, but it appears to be dead. There's no trace of reiatsu coming from it," said Shinji.

"What do you want me to do with it?" Shinji shrugged his shoulders at Ichigo's question.

"Do whatever you like. That sword is nothing more than a piece of junk." As Shinji ordered his friends to head back to the teleporter, Ichigo and Rukia were left pondering what to do with the broken pieces of Gin's former Zanpakuto.

"So this is Ichimaru's Zanpakuto huh," said Rukia. "I wonder how this ended up here."

"Its materialized form must have been killed by Kyoka Suigetsu," said Ichigo. "Just like how its master was killed by Kyoka Suigetsu's master." As Ichigo recalled Gin's death at the hands of the transformed Aizen, he suddenly came up with an idea. "Hey, that reminds me, has Rangiku-san been depressed since Ichimaru died?"

"She might have been. I heard she took weeks of service leave when the war ended," said Rukia. "And Hitsugaya Taicho said she mumbled about Ichimaru in her sleep."

"Well, I guess that accounts for Rangiku-san's unusual behaviour in Karakura Town. I think it would be best if we gave her this sword."

"Hey that's a great idea Ichigo! I bet Rangiku-san will be happy to see this."

"Oi! Ichigo, Rukia! Hurry up and follow us!" shouted Shinji. "Or else you two will be stuck here!" He and the Visoreds were already close to the teleporter.

"We're coming!" shouted Ichigo and Rukia. The two of them ran across the shattered bridge to join their fellow Shinigami comrades.

* * *

At the same moment, in the far outskirts of Rukongai hundreds of kilometers away from Seireitei, another titanic battle concluded. An immense column of light soaring high into the atmosphere marked the end of a clash between two beings of immense power. The moment of their impact created the largest explosion in the history of Soul Society. In its aftermath, an area of land stretching more than three hundred square kilometers had been reduced to ashes, and a crater over a mile wide and two hundred metres deep had been formed. Had any bystander been close enough to witness the explosion, they would have been utterly vaporized.

As the rising smoke from the remnants of the explosion cleared, the two combatants emerged from within the center of the crater. The former Captain Commander, Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryusai, in his mastered _Keshin_ state, had punched a three metre hole through the centre of his opponent, a monstrous demonic creature known as the Doomwalker. His two flaming arms were still lodged inside the monster's body after Yamamoto successfully performed his final _Sokotsu_ punch.

The Doomwalker let out a final devastating roar, before it started to disintegrate. A gust of wind blew over the battlefield, blowing away the remnants of the creature's reishi. Yamamoto took a deep breath as the towering flames that comprised his _Keshin_ body dissipated. He quickly reverted back to his normal form, his left arm once again a stump, his clothes now a tattered mess. A sudden pain gripped his chest, causing Yamamoto to cough heavily. He then spat out some drops of blood.

"I had no idea that going _Keshin_ would strain my body so much. I really have gotten old," said Yamamoto. He then turned to face the direction of Seireitei.

"It's going to be a long walk back." Yamamoto was about to resign himself to walking all the way back to Seireitei on foot when a portal suddenly appeared nearby. A second later the Kido Corps Captain Tsukabishi Tessai emerged and immediately crouched down on one knee.

"I've come to transport you back Yamamoto Sotaicho!" exclaimed Tessai.

"So you sensed my defeat of the Doomwalker Tessai-san?" asked Yamamoto.

"Yes Sotaicho, I was closely monitoring your battle. Furthermore, I have great news from Kyoraku-san. It appears that Hirako Taicho's assault group has succeeded in defeating the Zanpakuto Kyoka Suigetsu."

"Then the Ouken is still safe?" asked Yamamoto. Tessai nodded.

"Ho, those runts did a splendid job." The former Captain Commander started to laugh in a merry manner.

"Shall we head back Sotaicho?" asked Tessai. Yamamoto nodded. Tessai activated a series of hand seals, causing the _Kukanten'i _spell to instantly transport him and Yamamoto away from the scorched battlefield in an instant.

* * *

As the first rays of the sun shone over the eastern part of Karakura Town, a Senkaimon appeared in the middle of the town's memorial park. As the gate opened, a slender brown-skinned woman wearing a tight fitting black suit emerged. Sensing several large spiritual pressures nearby, she headed north, covering hundreds of metres in a single flash step. She eventually spotted a group of familiar faces in a clearing.

"Hey there!" yelled Yoruichi. She jumped down and landed on a building overlooking the spot on the ground where a number of injured Shinigami were resting.

"Oh Yoruichi-san, I am surprised to see you here," said Urahara. "Is there any news from Soul Society?" Yoruichi nodded.

"I have great news. Shinji and his team have succeeded in defeating Kyoka Suigetsu. Also, the Captain Commander Yamamoto has finally destroyed the Doomwalker."

"At last the nightmare is over," said Urahara. "We can finally go back to Soul Society."

"Do not be so hasty Urahara-san," Unohana Retsu objected. "I need to finish treating the injured before we can go back."

"Oh right, I forgot about that," Urahara laughed at his mistake. "I also have to fix the damage done to Karakura Town."

"I'll assist you Kisuke," said Yoruichi. The dark-skinned woman went off with her lover, leaving the Fourth Division Captain to tend the injured. Of the people in her care, the most critically wounded were the Tenth Division Captain Hitsugaya and his subordinate Hinamori. Both of them were still hanging on for their lives, having had a sword stabbed through their hearts. Seventh Division Captain Komamura was also unconscious; his injuries were severe but it was his lack of any spiritual pressure that concerned Unohana.

The other Shinigami had recovered enough to be fully awake and mobile. The lieutenants Abarai Renji, Hisagi Shuhei and Kira Izuri had seen Yoruichi exit the Senkaimon, but the fourth lieutenant Matsumoto Rangiku was sitting in a corner sulking.

"Did you guys hear what Yoruichi-san said?" asked Kira.

"Yeah, it seems like this whole nightmare is finally over," said Renji.

"It's going to take us a long time to recover from this incident," said Hisagi. He glanced at Matsumoto. "Especially for certain people." Renji and Kira knew what Hisagi was referring to.

"I hope Rangiku-san will be okay," said Kira. "I personally want to see her return to her voluptuous former self again. She hasn't been the same since Ichimaru died; I fear that what's she's experienced recently might break her already fragile emotions."

"Don't worry Izuru. I've known Matsumoto longer than you have," said Hisagi. "She is a strong woman, stronger than most of the men I have met. She will no doubt recover from this."

* * *

Several hours after the events inside the Heart of Seireitei concluded, the Second Division Captain Sui Feng and six Kido Corps guards entered the Secret Underground Prison and descended to the lowest level. One of the guards was holding a three foot long green colored bag in his hands. The bag was tightly bound and embossed with seals, for it contained within the sealed blade from of the accursed Zanpakuto Kyoka Suigetsu.

"Here is the cell," said Sui Feng. She pointed to a small three foot by three foot cell, that had been used in the past to store rogue Zanpakuto spirits who could not be destroyed. Two of the guards chanted a ritual to open the cell door. When the cell was fully open, Sui Feng grabbed the bag containing the sealed Zanpakuto and threw it inside. She then ordered all six guards to close the door and lock it with a complex pattern of six interconnected locks.

When it was done, Sui Feng said "Alright, let us return to the surface and never speak of this cell again." As the captain and her guards left, they were unaware that the occupant of a nearby cell had overheard their movements. This occupant was none other than Kyoka Suigetu's former master, the arch criminal Aizen Sousuke. In the darkness of his tightly secured cell, Aizen grinned happily.

* * *

At the same time that Kyoka Suigetsu as being locked away forever inside the Underground Prison, a group of Shinigami gathered inside the First Division Barracks. They included the captains and lieutenants who had taken part in the mission to the Heart of Seireitei, along with the Eighth, Twelve and Thirteenth Division Captains. Chairing the meeting was the reinstated Captain Commander and Captain of the First Division, Yamamoto Genyrusai. The Captain Commander had summoned every single person who had witnessed or who was aware of the true location of the Ouken to a top secret meeting to discuss the final outcome of the battle with Kyoka Suigetsu. When the debriefing concluded, Yamamoto proceeded to make his final remarks.

"I hereby declare that everything that has transpired inside this room today remains a confidential matter. No one, not even the Central 46, must know of the events that took place inside the Heart of Seireitei," said Yamamoto. "Every single one of you is sworn to an oath of secrecy. Have I made that clear?" The captains and the lieutenants all nodded.

"Very well then, let us bring the historic Soul Society Uprising to a close."

* * *

*Notes: The battle with Kyoka Suigetsu finally draws to a close, and so does the duel between Yamamoto and the Doomwalker. The focus of this chapter is mainly on the abilities of the Vizards. Two new Bankais are introduced, as well as a new Shikai.

-_Daikandeki Kinshara _(Great Horn Golden Sal Tree): This is Rose's Bankai. I thought having his Bankai be a giant trumpet like flower was appropriate evolution from his Shikai. It trades the flexibility of a whip for the sheer power of a blasting horn.

-_Tiosokyoku Dai Goban Carmina Burana _(Concerto Number Five Carmina Burana): Rose's Bankai move. Like his Shikai move, this is also a music based attack, with references to Beethoven and Carl Orf.

-_Kazekyaku_ (Wind Movement): Mashiro's Zanpakuto. Since her hollow powers are very much based on her kicking strenght, I thought her Zanpakuto must also share a similar ability. The wind element signifies Mashiro's link to Kensei.

-_Daitengumaruoh_ (Great Tengu King): Love's Bankai. Since his Shikai's name is also based on the mythical Japanese crow demon, I thought it was fitting to have his Bankai be a manifestation for the full monster which held the Shikai club in its hands.


	41. Chapter 41: Bittersweet Memories

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

*Author's note: This chapter marks the end of the Kyoka Suigetsu arc. It's been a long journey to get to this point, and I apologise again for the six month break I took from updating. The story is far from over however. The next chapter will begin a brand new arc, and will feature some shocking revelations and surprises.

I thank all the readers who have stayed with this story up to this point.

Chapter 41 Bittersweet Memories

As the various captains and lieutenants left the First Division barracks' office, only two people remained beside Yamamoto, his former protégés Shunsui and Ukitake. When Yamamoto noticed that they were still present, he gave both of them stern looks.

"I thought I ordered everyone to leave," said Yamamoto. "That includes the two of you."

"Aww, don't you enjoy our company Yamaji-san?" asked Shunsui. He patted his mentor on the shoulder.

"You and Jushiro have given me enough trouble as it is. I was enjoying a well deserved vacation when you rudely ordered me back to clean up the mess you made!"

"Don't be so harsh on us Yamaji-san. We did the best we could…given the circumstances," said Shunsui.

"Bah, the two of you are useless! You Shunsui, of all people, were fooled by a woman pretending to me! And you Jushiro, you were this close to dying for good!" Yamamoto clasped his thumb and middle finger together, leaving only a millimeter's space between them.

Ukitake laughed at his mentor's gesture. "Surely you can't be made at me for saving your life Genryusai-sensei."

"Yamaji, were you really that worried about Jushiro's life?" asked Shunsui. "It would have been a noble sacrifice had he died. Isn't that right Jushiro?"

"Of course. I've been close to death for the last two thousand years anyway."

For a moment, Yamamoto was so outraged he was contemplating burning both of his former students to ash, but then common sense and his own heart stayed his hand. No matter how much Shunsui and Ukitake got themselves into, he could never stay mad at them for long.

"Hmph, I guess I have to say I do not mind your company. I am too old and weak to run everything in Soul Society now. The two of you must carry some of my burden."

"We'd be happy to do so Yamaji-san. It's good to have you back," said Shunsui.

* * *

Hitsugaya Toshiro opened his eyes, seeing nothing but an empty white ceiling above him. He looked around and noticed he was lying on a bed inside one of the Fourth Division's wards. After sitting upright, he finally realized he was no longer wearing his captain's uniform. Instead he was dressed in a plain white Shihakusho. He looked down at this chest and noticed it had been heavily bandaged.

"Ah, you are finally awake Hitsugaya Taicho," said a voice from outside the room. A second later Hitsugaya saw Unohana appear in the doorway.

"Unohana-san…" said Hitsugaya. "What happened to me? Where's Aizen?"

"Aizen? Oh, it seems you haven't realized it yet," Unohana chuckled. She went and sat beside Hitsugaya's bed.

"The one who stabbed you and third seat Hinamori was not Aizen Sousuke but his Zanpakuto Kyoka Suigetsu.

"What, it was Kyoka Suigetsu?" Hitsugaya was outraged. A strong desire for revenge rose sharply in his heart. "Where is she now? I'm going to kill that bitch!"

"It is too late for that Hitsugaya Taicho. Kyoka Suigetsu has already been defeated and disposed of. You need not worry about her anymore."

For a moment, Hitsugaya was consumed by a sense of despair and disappointment, but that feeling was quickly washed aside by a feeling of relief.

"Ah thank goodness. I really thought Aizen had returned," said Hitsugaya. Just then, another thought suddenly entered his head, one that made him panic again. "Wait a second Unohana-san, what happened to Momo-chan?"

"She's right beside you." Unohana pointed to the delicate yet beautiful woman lying in a bed next to Hitsugaya's, sound asleep. When he saw that Hinamori was alive and breathing normally, Hitsugaya's anxiety completely disappeared.

"Thank you Unohana-san. You saved our lives once again," said Hitsugaya. "I just wish I had been able to save Momo-chan this time."

* * *

"No don't leave us Taicho!" shouted the Seventh Division Lieutenant Tetsuzaemon Iba in a hammy fashion. Manly tears were rolling down the side of his face as his hands clenched the furry arm of his captain Komamura Sajin. The fox-like Shinigami was lying in a bed inside one of the Fourth Division's wards. In addition to Iba, Hisagi Shuhei and Aikawa Love had also come to visit him.

"Is it true Komamura-san?" asked Hisagi. "Are you really leaving us for good?"

"Yes…Shuhei-san," said Komamura. "I have lost all of my spiritual energy. Soon I will no longer be able to maintain my human form."

"What do you mean by that Taicho?" asked Iba. Komamura glanced at Love, who nodded in understanding. Love had known about Komamura's tragic past, so he was well aware of what Komamura was about to reveal."

"Iba, I suppose it is time for me to tell you and Shuhei about who I really am," said Komamura. "I've long hid everything about myself, including my own appearance, from other people. For a long time, Tousen was the only friend I confided with, until I met you and the others from the Seventh Division. It was because of the devotion and respect I received from all of you that I became more open about myself and my identity. The time I spent as your captain was a joy."

Komamura paused for a bit and looked up at the ceiling. Memories from his past came back to him. Iba, Hisagi and Love stood around him, waiting patiently to hear his story.

"Ah, I guess I should begin by explain who I really am. I have no doubt that you and every person in the Gotei 13 who has seen my true face knows that I am not human. I was once a sacred wolf spirit, as was the rest of my family."

"What you were a wolf spirit Taicho?" Iba was confused. Hisagi and Love urged Komamura to continue.

"A long time ago, my family and I lived in the gardens of the Royal Palace, inside the King's Realm. I have little recollection of what that place was like, but I do remember that it was a rather happy time of my life. Even as wolves, we were already highly intelligent and could understand human speech. The King allowed us to roam freely in his garden. We were only given one rule; we were not to drink from the pond that was in the middle of the garden.

"I found out much later that the pond contained the Waters of Enlightenment, which was said to bless anyone who drank them the knowledge and wisdom of the Spirit King himself. My family and I did our best to avoid drinking from the pond, but one day, the keeper who was responsible for feeding us failed to provide us with adequate water. We became extremely thirsty, and seeing that the only water we could drink was from the pond itself, my entire family including me made the decision to drink from the pond.

"That moment changed my life forever. In an instant my whole body was transformed into an anthropomorphic form, as was the rest of my family. The keeper and the Royal Guard soon found out about this and were outraged by what we had done."

Komamura stopped his story for a moment. The memories of his past still weighed heavily upon him.

"What happened next Komamura-san?" asked Hisagi.

"My whole family was slaughtered. The Royal Guard and our former keeper were determined to exterminate every single wolf spirit who had drunk from the pond. My family and our entire race were hunted down to extinction. I watched all of my friends and relatives die in front of me. My mother and father sacrificed themselves so that I could escape. Somehow I managed to escape the King's Realm and arrive in Soul Society. The Royal Guards sent several pursuers after me. I was eventually cornered and about to be killed by them when the old man came to my rescue."

"The old man? Do you mean Yamamoto Sotaicho?" asked Iba. Komamura nodded. He recalled the words of the conversation between Yamamoto and his pursuers.

_"What are you Royal Guards people doing here?" asked Yamamoto. One of the Royal Guards pointed to the anthropomorphic wolf that was standing behind the Commander General._

_ "We are after that wolf! He drunk from the forbidden Waters of Enlightenment! For that crime he must receive the ultimate punishment! Now hand him over!" Yamamoto glanced at the human-like wolf, who was cowering in fear at his pursuers._

_ "I refuse," said Yamamoto. The two Royal Guards were outraged. In a reflex action they drew their Zanpakutos out and pointed them at the Commander General._

_ "You dare defy us? We are the guardians of the Reioh! We stand far above the Gotei 13 and the Central 46. No one, not even you, should question our authority! Now stand aside and let us kill that traitorous wolf! Or else we will have no choice but to use force against you!"_

_ "No choice to use force? I am afraid you have already made a choice. By pointing your swords at me you are effectively making me your enemy. Do you really wish for that to happen?" The wolf's eyes glowed in awe as the old man turned the cane he had been holding into a sword of pure fire. The amount of spirit pressure coming from him was so great that the two Royal Guards who had been pursuing the wolf began to cower in fear. _

_ "You punks will do well remembering that orders from the Central 46 aside, my authority in Seireitei is absolute. You Royal Guards have no business interfering in our affairs. Now go back to your sovereign at once or face the consequences!"_

_ Without hesitation, the two Royal Guards turned and fled. The young humanoid wolf was left wondering who this mysterious old man was. Whether it was by pure instinct or because of the intellect he had gained, the wolf spoke for the first time._

_ "Thank you for saving me," he said. Yamamoto turned and regarded the being kneeling on the ground in front of him._

_ "You can speak boy?" he asked. The wolf nodded. "What is your name?"_

_ "I don't know. My parents never gave me a name. I just aware of who I was."_

_ "Hmm, well, it would difficult to survive hear without a name. How about I give you one? From now on, you shall be called…"_

"And there you have it. That is how the Sotaicho saved me and gave me my name," said Komamura. "He taught me the basics of reading and writing. I was then left to fend for myself. I survived in the wilderness of Rukongai for many years until I met Tousen-san and joined the Gotei 13."

Iba and Hisagi were left speechless and emotionally overcome by Komamura's story. They had no idea their captain had such a harsh upbringing. Love was also feeling emotional, even though he had heard Komamura's story before.

"Has the time already arrived Sajin?" asked Love. Komamura nodded.

"It appears that the effects of the Waters of Enlightenment are finally wearing off. Soon I'll return to being an ordinary wolf spirit again," said Komamura.

"No, please don't leave me Taicho!" cried Iba. Komamura patted his former deputy on his head.

"Why are you crying Tetsuzaemon? A true man does not cry even when he is overcome with emotion," said Komamura. "Didn't you say that yourself to me once?" Upon hearing this, Iba looked up at Komamura and stopped crying.

"Now then, it is time for me to say goodbye." Komamura turned to Love first. "Love-san, I hope you will carry on my duties as Captain of the Seventh Division."

"I will Sajin," said Love. He gave Komamura a thumb up. "I will protect my men as well as you did." Komamura smiled, before turning to Hisagi.

"I am sorry Shuhei for not being able to save Tousen."

"Ah don't worry about it Komamura-san. You already did save Tousen Taicho in a way," said Hisagi. "In the end the two of us managed to open his eyes to the truth." Komamura smiled again before finally turning to Iba.

"You have been the most loyal servant Iba. I'll forever remember you in my heart."

"And so will I Taicho!" exclaimed Iba. "Our Seventh division will carry on your legacy with pride!" Iba stood up and gave his captain a final salute.

"Thank you," said Komamura with a smile. "And goodbye." His body started glowing brightly until his shape was all but obscured by light. Iba, Hisagi and Love watched as the silhouette that had been Komamura shrank and change shape. When the light dissipated, the being that had been Komamura was gone. In its place, was a man-sized wolf curled up snugly under the blanket.

The rest of the Gotei 13 soon became aware of what happened to Komamura. Yamamoto made arrangements to have the former captain reside at the Seventh Division barracks as a pet. The new captain Aikawa Love and lieutenant Iba vowed to give Komamura the wolf their utmost love and affection. Meanwhile, the other captain who lost his position, Kurotsuchi Mayuri, was incarcerated inside the Maggot's Nest, along with all of the former inmates who had broken out during the uprising. The rest of Soul Society went to work to rebuild everything that had been destroyed by the recent series of events.

* * *

Matsumoto Rangiku sat naked inside a bathtub, in the bathroom of her own personal living suite. As the soap and bubble-filled waters lapped around her breasts, Matsumoto held a small note in her hands. The note had been given to her by Ichimaru Gin's Zanpakuto Shinso prior to him brainwashing her into becoming a mind controlled slave. Though her captain and Kira had succeeded in undoing the brainwashing, Matsumoto had been left an emotional wreck, not just because of what she had endured, but also due to the trauma of having to relive the memories of Gin's death. The days she had spent guarding the Tenth Division barracks as her captain recuperated in hospital had been the worst she had to live through. At one point, the angst and depression she was suffering from was so bad that Matsumoto contemplated taking her own life so that she could see Gin again.

It was only a chance visit by Kurosaki Ichigo and Kuchiki Rukia that brought Matsumoto back. Ichigo had given her the remains of Shinso, which according to him had been retrieved after the final battle with Kyoka Suigetsu. Matsumoto didn't care how the sword ended up there; all she knew was that at last she had a memento of Gin to hold onto.

The broken pieces of Gin's Zanpakuto also made Matsumoto remember the letter she had been given. It had been stashed inside her Shihakusho for ages until she finally made the decision to read it. As she sat inside the bathtub, Matsumoto opened the letter and began to read it.

_"_ _Dear Rangiku_. _If you are reading this letter, then I must surely be dead. I instructed Shinso to leave you with this message in case I failed in my mission. _

_ I guess I should leave you an apology for everything that I've done, and all the suffering I've caused you. After all, you might still be wondering why I decided to defect from the Gotei 13 and join Aizen. _

_ The truth is I wanted to get back the part of your soul that was taken from you by Aizen. You remember when that happened don't you? The time when three Shinigami thugs beat you, raped you and somehow stole a fragment of soul from you. When I found you lying on the ground, you were almost dead. I tracked down the thugs who did that do you and they led me straight to Aizen. I discovered that he had sacrificed the portion of your soul to the Hougyoku he was making at the time. _

_ I knew that some way or another I had to kill Aizen to get your soul back, but the manipulative bastard had already cast complete hypnosis over everyone in Soul Society. There was only way I could find out what Aizen's weaknesses were, and that was pretending to serve as his right hand man. I swear Rangiku-san, that over the century long period I spent as Aizen's trusted lieutenant, I never forgot about my mission, or about my feelings for you. When I saw you appear in front of me in the real Karakura Town, I knew that my time had come. I could not risk your live by having Aizen attack you. _

_ And so as I finish this letter, I am heading off to kill Aizen for good. Whether or not I succeed, I hope in my heart that in the future you will come to understand what I've done. Should I die in vain, do not grieve for me. I do not deserve your love or forgiveness. Instead, you should move on and find someone else who will bring you true happiness…"_

At this point, Matsumoto finished reading Gin's final letter. Without realizing it tears were already streaming down her face. It was only now that she realized the true struggle that Gin had went through, to have completely subsumed himself as Aizen's lieutenant whilst hiding his true feelings all along. He had already anticipated her desire to know the truth, as well as the feelings she had him. He had even realized her desire to see him once more, by sending his Zanpakuto spirit to see her. Matsumoto wondered how much Gin already knew about her, but she then dismissed that thought. Only one thing was important to her now. She finally had something to remember Gin by. The angst that she had been suffering for all of these years was now gone.

"Oh Gin…" sobbed Matsumoto. She dropped the letter beside her as she sunk her head into the water, to drown out her sorrows.

* * *

"We're back!" shouted Ichigo as he walked through the front gate of the Shiba Manor. Rukia followed close behind him. It had been a long time since Ichigo had seen his sisters; after the events of the past few weeks, having endured the mass breakout of Maggot's Nest prisoners, the battle in Karakura Town, and then the confrontation with Kyoka Suigetsu in the Heart of Seireitei, Ichigo was relieved to have gotten a day off to see his family. Having also been granted a day's leave by her captain, Rukia thought it would be good for her to come with Ichigo.

The two of them stepped through the front gate of the ancient manor. As they walked through the front courtyard and around the side of the manor Rukia was rather unnerved at how quiet it was.

"This place always feels so big and empty," said Rukia.

"Why do you say that? Your brother's manor is much bigger than our home," said Ichigo.

"But Nii-sama has hundreds of relatives and servants living in the Kuchiki Manor. I see them running around whenever I go there. By contrast, only your sisters, Kukaku Nee-san and Ganju live here. It really feels strange to see almost no people around."

"Hmm I guess you're right. It does feel weird to only have four people live in such living quarters. It's one reason why I chose not to move into the manor myself."

They entered the manor's inner residential quarters and walked past the fountain in the middle of a square courtyard, before finally arriving at the doors of the main residence. Ichigo knocked on the door, hoping that at least his sisters were present and not back at the Academy. A few seconds later he heard footsteps coming to the door. The door opened and Ichigo was greeted by the wide-eyed faces of Yuzu and Karin. The two sisters looked stunning in simple yet elegant yukatas, their hair bunched up by sparkling white hair clips.

"Onii-chan!" the two sisters exclaimed in excitement. Both Yuzu and Karin hugged Ichigo tightly around the waist. "Rukia-san too!" They repeated the same process with Rukia.

"It's good to see you again Yuzu-chan, Karin-chan," said Ichigo.

"We've missed you onii-chan," said Yuzu. "You said you were going to visit us at the end of every second week when we got to go home from the Academy. But we haven't seen you ages!"

"Yeah what happened Ichi-nii? You and Rukia-san haven't been back in three months. We thought you were going to miss out on the Autumn festival celebrations," said Karin.

"Oh crap I totally forgot about the festival," said Ichigo.

"So did I. We've been so busy with Gotei 13 business we haven't paid attention to the calendar," said Rukia.

"And don't worry onii-chan, Rukia-san, we're just in the middle of preparing the celebrations. Aunt Kukaku and Ganju-san are out the back making fireworks," said Yuzu.

"Ooh Kukaku-san is making fireworks? Can I join in?" said Rukia in an excited manner.

"Of course you can Rukia-san. You should join in too Ichi-nii!" exclaimed Karin. Ichigo smiled as he followed his sisters into building. In his moment of happiness, there was one thought that crossed his mind; he wished his father Isshin had been here to celebrate the festival with them. _Wherever you are dad, I hope you are still thinking of us. _

And so the curtain closed on the event that would go down in the annals of Soul Society as the Great Uprising. The Soul Society and the Gotei 13 quickly recovered from the incident and enjoyed many months of peace and prosperity. But none of the Shinigami knew of the far greater threat that waited them.

* * *

Comments

*Komamura's backstory: Since I had planned from the beginning to kill off Komamura at the end of this arc, I thought it was appropriate to fully flesh out his backstory and give his character a fitting conclusion. I built upon the existing plot threads about him that were already in the beginning, such as the debt that Komamura supposedly owed to Yamamoto, the mention of him having a family, and the very fact that he was a humanoid wolf. These all made me think that Komamura was originally not a human. Also, I thought it was good to tie him to the upcoming arc and the Bleach Universe as a whole by having him come originally from the King's Realm.

*Gin's message: I always thought Gin and Matsumoto's relationship was not given sufficient closure in the manga. I thought it would be good to have Gin leave Matsumoto one last message so that she could finally move on.


	42. Chapter 42: Enter the Royal Guard

**Bleach: The Afterlife Saga**

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

Story Recap: Five years after losing his powers, Ichigo is reunited with Soul Society and Rukia when he and his sisters are killed by a hollow. After surviving in Rukongai for several months, Ichigo regains enough of his spiritual power to enrol in the Shinigami Academy. He graduates as a full member of the Gotei 13 within the space of a year. He is assigned to the 5th Division under the command of the former Visored Shinji. Ichigo completes several heroic missions under Shinji's command, earning him enough praise to be elevated to 3rd seat.

Half a year later three unknown intruders break into the Research and Development Institute and kill th 12th Division lieutenant Nemu. This act drives Captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri insane, causing him to destroy the entire Institute. In the aftermath of the incident, Urahara Kisuke is appointed the new 12th Division captain and takes Hiyori as his lieutenat. Ichigo is promoted to the rank of 5th Division lieutenant. The intruders responsible for the Institute's destruction finally show themselves by freeing all of the prisoners of the Maggot's Nest, sparking an unprecedented uprising in Soul Society.

The uprising is crushed, but in the process Matsumoto and Hisagi are abducted. Hitsugaya forms a team with Komamura to search for them, while Ichigo and Rukia, knowing they aren't strong enough, train in the cave underneath Sokyoku Hill to achieve Bankai. When Hinamori is also abducted and brought to Karakura Town, the real goal of the intruders is revealed: to finish what Aizen started by making the Ouken. Ichigo, Rukia and Renji join Hitsugaya's search team in battle over Karakura Town. The ritual to create the ouken is halted, but Ichigo discovers the true identity of the mastermind behind the intruders: the Zanpakuto Kyoka Suigetsu.

Having discovered the real Ouken's location by disguising herself as Yamamoto, Kyoka Suigetsu heads to the Heart of Seireitei, the location of the Ouken. While the real Yamamoto returns to fend off a powerful demon that suddenly attacks Soul Society, Ichigo, Rukia and the Visoreds head to the Heart of Seireitei to stop Kyoka Suigetsu. In a titanic struggle Aizen's Zanpakuto is defeated, and peace is finally restored at last. However the price of victory is high, with Komamura losing all of his Shinigami powers and reverting back to a wolf.

* * *

**Chapter 42 Enter the Royal Guard**

_An age of darkness approaches. Secrets of the past shall be revealed. Legends once thought lost shall reappear. It shall be an age of war and sadness, and age where only the true heroes shall survive…_

Six months on from the Great Uprising, the worlds of Soul Society and the Living World had recovered from the unprecedented breakout of prisoners from the Maggot's Nest. Shinigami and humans alike had returned to their old ways having forgotten the lessons that the uprising had taught them. The Central 46, going along with Commander General Yamamoto's own advice, had passed a decree forbidding any person from discussing what had taken place in the real world, or the identity of the masterminds behind the uprising. The secret few who knew the full truth were sworn to an oath of secrecy.

In the real world, the people in Karakura Town who had witnessed the clashes between Shinigami and the rogue prisoners had their memories erased by the Onimitsukidou, with the exception of a small group of humans who possessed strong spiritual powers. Even these special individuals largely forgot about the machinations of the Shinigami and went on with their daily lives.

The Quincy Ishida Uryu continued with his role as the director of the Karakura General Hospital, having officially succeeded his father. His close friend and now fiancée Inoue Orihime had finally moved in with Uryu, but chose to pursue a career as an 'idol, a modeling and television personality.

Sado 'Chad' Yasutora and his girlfriend Arisawa Tatsuki continued to live in separate apartments despite seeing each other often. The two of them had enrolled in further study at Tokyo University but were continuing their part time jobs.

These four special humans had been officially sanctioned by the Soul Society to deal with hollows in Karakura Town. Apart from this duty, none of them had any further relations with the Shinigami. Even their former friend Kurosaki Ichigo had not visited them at all.

On one certain night, Ishida, Orihime, Chad and Tatsuki arrived at one of Karakura Town's most lavish restaurants to celebrate a certain event, the second anniversary of Ichigo's death.

"Wow time sure has gone by quickly," said Orihime. "I can't believe that Kurosaki-kun has been dead for two years."

"It sounds kind of morbid when you say it like that Inoue," said Chad in a deadpan manner.

"Has Ichigo ever been back since he and his pals helped deal with those rogue Quincies?" ask Tatsuki. Chad was about to say he had but Ishida shot him a glance, reminding him that Orihime and Tatsuki were not to know about the incident six months ago. Ishida turned to Tatsuki.

"I am afraid he hasn't Arisawa. Kurosaki is now a Shinigami after all. I doubt he could find the time to come down the world of the living just to meet us. His friends in the Soul Society are more important to him now."

"Oh well, we can still celebrate Kurosaki-kun's memory!" exclaimed Orihime with a smile. Her friends shared the same sentiment.

At the same moment in Soul Society, Kurosaki Ichigo was finishing the last bunch of paperwork for his captain Hirako Shinji. He checked the time and saw that it was almost midnight.

"Ugh, I am so tired, I think I'm going to bed now," he said. Just as he was about to go asleep Ichigo remembered what day it was and started to panic. _Oh fuck I forgot! Tomorrow is going to be the second anniversary of my arrival in Soul Society_. _Yuzu and Karin will be mad if I don't come to celebrate with them_. Ichigo decided that he was going to seek permission from his captain for a day off, before finally falling asleep in his living quarters.

* * *

As midnight approached over Soul Society, a shadowy figure crept along the streets of Seireitei, heading towards the Underground Prison. Though there were guards still out on patrol, most of them were half-asleep, completely drunk, or were absconding from their duties. As such, security over Seireitei was extremely lax. Perfect, the figure thought, for the operation he was about to conduct. The figure soon reached the entrance of the Underground Prison. As he hid behind a wall, light from the full moon above shone upon him, revealing a bearded face, short spiky black hair, a standard black Shihakusho, as well as a white haori draped over his left shoulder.

The figure, who was clearly a man, examined the security guarding the entrance to the prison. He saw four guards from the Onimitsukidou Detention Unit standing in a square formation.

"Only four guards, not too bad," he said to himself. Under the cover of darkness, the figure concealed his spiritual pressure and moved silently towards the guards. Once he was near the guards the figure silently chanted a Kido spell. Without even knowing what had hit them the four guards instantly fell unconscious and dropped to the ground. The figure searched the pockets of one of the guards and found a set of keys. He then moved toward the prison's front gate.

"Damn it which is the right one?" muttered the man under his breath as he flicked through the set of keys to find the key that opened the wooden combination lock on the front door. He took the risk of alerting sentries to his position by casting a small Hado spell above his head, creating a dim light bright enough for him to see the keys clearly. After several tries at the lock the man finally succeeded in opening the lock. With a semi-circular turn he opened the front door of the prison. The man then walked through the entrance, making sure to close and lock the door as he did so.

Before proceeding any further the man chanted a double concealment spell, surrounding himself in a barrier that completely masked his spiritual pressure and camouflaging his body to blend in with the surrounding buildings. With his presence completely concealed from the cameras and other signals, the man Shunpo-ed through the underground prison as fast as he could. It took him about an hour of non-stop flash stepping until he reached the very bottom level, Mugen. In this dark harrowing place the man once again cast a simple Kido spell to create an artificial light source.

"Now then, which cell is he in?" The man grabbed a piece of paper from a pocket inside his Shihakusho and glanced at it. There was a number written on the paper, one that corresponded with the numbers found upon various nearby cell doors. The man followed the pattern of numbers on the cell doors until he finally reached the cell door that corresponded with the number on the paper. It was the cell in the very innermost area of Mugen, isolated from all of the other cells, and securely locked by the most complex locking mechanism the man had ever seen.

"Oh boy, this is going to be hard to open." The man tried casting a common unsealing Bakudo upon the lock. When it didn't work he went for a more complex unlocking spell. Again the door refused to open. The man tried several more unlocking spells and eventually resorted to the most difficult high level unlocking Bakudo he knew. The spell had absolutely no effect on the lock.

"God damn it open!" shouted the man. He slammed upon the door in frustration and tried to rip open the locks with his bare hands. All that did was to make his palms all red and sore. Out of options, the man resorted to his last ditch strategy. He unsheathed his Zanpakuto and held it with both hands. Then he poured his reiryoku into the blade before holding it high above his head.

"Alright if this doesn't work then nothing will," he said. "_Getsuga Tensho_!" The blade came down in a semi-circular arc, emitting a blue coloured crescent shaped blast of energy that blew off all of the locking mechanisms upon the door. The blast then penetrated the door's thick iron until at last it cleaved through the door entirely. When the blast dissipated, the man could see that he had succeeded in carving a man-sized hole through the door itself. However, he had also succeeded in triggering the alarm mechanism for the entire prison. Within seconds a loud screech followed by a constant siren sounded throughout the prison level.

"Shit, looks like I screwed up," said the man. "Oh well, it's too late to back out now." The man climbed through the hole in the door to enter the small dark cell. He cast another Hado spell upon the ceiling that completely illuminated the cell's interior. The light had the effect of illuminating the figure of the cell's occupant; a man so infamous that his entire body except for a portion of his face had been bound in a tight white robe with numerous binding straps upon it. He was suspended in mid-air with his legs in a permanent sitting position. The prisoner opened his eyes and glanced at the man who had bust open his cell with a smug grin.

"My, my you are the last person I would have expected to free me from my confinement, Kurosaki Isshin," he said. The prisoner paused for a moment, realizing he had made a mistake. "Or to be more precise, the former head of the Shiba family, _Shiba_ Isshin."

"Spare the pleasantries Aizen," said Isshin bluntly. "The guards will be coming any minute now." He proceeded to undo the bindings around Aizen's body and release the Kido spell that was keeping him hovering in the air. As Aizen's hands and legs were freed, he took a moment to revel in his physical freedom.

"Ah, I had forgotten what it was like to stand on terra firma," said Aizen. "Seven years of being suspended in mid air has atrophied my muscles." He did some stretches with his legs and rolled his arms around in circles.

"Are you done with your exercising? We have no time to waste," said Isshin.

"What is the matter? Why are you in such a hurry to free me? Surely you must realize that by releasing me you have condemned yourself to the same status as I am. I am also astounded by your sudden change of heart. Seven years ago you along with Urahara Kisuke took went to great lengths to kill me. What motivated you to release me from my confinement?"

Isshin paused for a moment to consider his response. He had to say something to make Aizen trust him enough to go along with his plan, but he didn't want to risk giving all of his secrets away.

"I suppose you have a right to know why I've come down here to free you," he said. "I have been researching into your past, Aizen Sousuke and I have discovered that there no records of your birth or entry into Soul Society."

"Oh, why does the lack of my birth records interest you?"

"Even someone of your intellect and knowledge could not have known what the Reioh looked like unless you either had access to information that only the Royal Guard are privy to, or you have actually seen him. I find the latter hard to believe."

"Why is that Shiba Isshin? Surely you don't think I could have met the Reioh in person?"

"Of course not. No Shinigami in the last one thousand years would have seen the Reioh unless they entered the King's Realm, and those that enter the King's Realm can never leave it again. To my knowledge, you only began your experiments into the Hougyoku about two hundred years ago and you didn't become aware of the Royal Guard's existence until Urahara Kisuke become Captain of the 12th Division." Aizen was impressed at the amount of information Isshin had about his past history.

"I have to say you have done your research about me, but what is the point of all of this talk? Are you saying that someone else who started me on the path to godhood, who instilled within me the desire to kill and supplant the Reioh?"

'That is exactly what I am saying Aizen. There must be a person or an entity out there that provided you with the knowledge about the Reioh. You must know about him don't you?"

At this point, Aizen became agitated and distressed. He started clutching his forehead in pain. "I…don't know…what you're talking about. Everything…I did…was through my own intellect and abilities alone!" All of a sudden Aizen let out a terrible scream and fell onto his knees in pain.

"I think you know the truth Aizen," said Isshin. "You were under the control of another entity this entire time. Your own desires were subsumed by the overarching goal of another." Aizen glared at Isshin in anger, but another spasm caused him to clutch his head again.

"He's telling me to come to him…he needs me beside him!" shouted Aizen.

"Who? Tell me!" Isshin watched as Aizen screamed in pain again before finally collapsing upon his stomach. As he lay on the ground panting, Aizen became lucid enough to speak clearly.

"His name is Azrael-sama. I don't know his real name," said Aizen.

"That is enough. Do you know where he is?" asked Isshin. Aizen nodded.

"He is somewhere in the real world."

"Just as I thought. Very well then, since it appears your master has summoned you, I might as well accompany and find out who he is."

"And what happens after that? Are you going to put me back into this cell again?" asked Aizen as he stood up again.

"Depends. If you still hold the insane desire to create another Ouken and enter the King's Realm then I will have to stop you."

"That is all in the past now. I no longer have a desire to stand in heaven's throne anymore. Your son taught me much about myself." Isshin was both surprised and amused at Aizen's confession.

"Well then, I don't know what Soul Society will think but I myself hold no real grudges against you. Once I find this Azrael person, you can do what you like. We've talked for enough now, we must leave." Isshin exited the cell through the hole he had made with his _Getsuga_. Aizen followed him out. The two of them headed for the stairs to the upper levels of the prison. When they had passed several cell blocks, Aizen asked Isshin to halt for a moment.

"Wait, before we leave Isshin-san, I would request at we break open another cell," said Aizen. Aizen pointed to the row of cells on the other side. "My Zanpakuto is confined in one of the cells down there. I want to free her before we leave."

"Ugh, if it were any other situation I'd have denied you the use of Kyoka Suigetsu, but I suppose you'll be more useful with a sword in your hands," said Isshin. "Show me where her cell is." Aizen led showed Isshin to a cell about a dozen blocks away from the cell he had been confined in.

"I can feel Kyoka Suigetu's reiatsu. This must be the cell," said Aizen. Isshin was about to use _Getsuga Tensho_ on the cell but Aizen stopped him. "Let me open this one." Aizen touched his hand upon the cell door and chanted several Kido spells. The locking mechanisms upon the cell door instantly disappeared and the door quickly swung open. The cell inside was also pitch black. Aizen cast an illuminating Kido in his hands to bathe the entire cell in light. He and Isshin saw nothing inside except for a katana sheathed in a scabbard. When Aizen took one step into the cell however the sword suddenly materialized into a stunning black haired woman in a red kimono. The woman instantly rushed up and hugged her arms around Aizen's waist.

"Aizen-sama, I am so glad that you have finally come back to me," cried Kyoka Suigetsu.

"I am touched by your affection Kyoka Suigetsu," said Aizen with a smug grin. "For the last seven years I have not thought about you, but the situation right now requires me to utilize your powers."

"I don't care about the past Aizen-sama. I am happy that you want to use me again."

"Can we spare the pleasantries?" asked Isshin. "We have to leave now!"

"You can't possibly understand my affection for Aizen-sama you chauvinist pig." Isshin was taken aback by Kyoka Suigetsu's insult. The Zanpakuto gave him a condescending glance before she turned transformed back into a sword and scabbard. Aizen sheathed the sword inside the scabbard before place it beside his waist.

"Looks like we're done here. Let's leave," said Isshin. The two of them advanced up the stairs, flash stepping whenever they could. When they arrived the third level of the prison, they were suddenly met by over twenty Detention Unit guards. The guards were shocked when they saw the faces of Aizen and Isshin.

"It's the traitor Aizen Sousuke!" exclaimed several of the guards.

"Who's that standing alongside him?" asked several other guards.

"That looks like…Kurosaki Isshin," muttered one of the guards.

"Really? Why is he with Aizen? Did he bust him out of the cell?"

Isshin and Aizen regarded the conversations among the guards with some concern.

"Oh boy, looks like we have to silence all of them or else we will be in big trouble," said Isshin. He was about to unsheathe his sword when he was stopped by Aizen.

"Allow me to take care of them Isshin-san. You wouldn't want your hands to be stained by the blood of innocents do you?" Aizen gave Isshin a smug grin as he unsheathed his sword from its scabbard and held it front of him. All of the guards gasped as soon as they saw the sword come out.

"He's going to use Kyoka Suigetsu! Everyone close your eyes and attack!" The Detention Unit guards pulled out short length Wazikashis and charged at Aizen.

"It is too late. All of you are already under my spell," said Aizen smugly. "Shatter, _Kyoka Suigetsu_." In an instant the twenty guards stopped in their tracks. All of them suddenly had panicked expressions on their faces.

"He's among us! Get him!" several of the guards shouted. Isshin watched on in horror as several of the guards stabbed their short swords into their fellow guards' back.

"What's going on Aizen?" asked Isshin.

"I cast an illusion that made each of the guards think the person next to them is me," said Aizen. It soon became obvious that the guards were slaughtering each other, as each person thought the person directly beside him was Aizen. The real Aizen and Isshin took the opportunity to walk past the carnage. Soon only one guard was left. Aizen released the illusion he had cast and proceeded to slash the remaining guard across the waste. The hapless guard fell onto his stomach, wondering what had happened to him.

"You bastard…" croaked the guard, before he suddenly fell unconscious. Aizen and Isshin took one last look at the man before they continued their advance up the stairs. They soon reached the entrance of the underground prison. As they exited the front door, the pair spotted a large group of Shinigami approaching them.

"Oh crap we better run!" shouted Isshin. He and Aizen scampered off into the alleyways until Isshin found a secluded spot where no one could see them. He got out his Zanpakuto and stabbed the air, creating a small Senkaimon. Then, he and Aizen stepped through the Senkaimon before it closed behind them.

* * *

"They're gone!" exclaimed Sui Feng in disbelief. "I can't feel their reiatsu anymore!" Just moments ago her eyes had spotted Aizen and someone who resembled Kurosaki Ichigo's father emerge from the broken doors of the underground prison. But then the two of them vanished, without a trace of their spiritual pressure.

"Oh boy, the Captain Commander is going to have our heads if we don't provide a good explanation," said Omaeda sarcastically.

Several hours later, as dawn broke over the horizon, an emergency meeting of all the captains was called by Yamamoto. The twelve other captains hastily assembled in the meeting room of the 1st Division barracks. A few of the captains were already aware of what had happened at the underground prison, but several others were still clueless. The Captain Commander slammed his cane hard on the ground.

"I have summoned all of you here for an urgent crisis meeting," said Yamamoto. "Early this morning the traitor Aizen Sousuke escaped from his cell in the Underground Prison." The announcement caused almost all of the captains to gasp in shock and astonishment.

"Aizen escaped! But how?" asked Hitsugaya.

"Sui Feng Taicho, I believe you have visual proof of Aizen's escape. Do you have any explanation for how he broke out of his cell?" The Second Division Captain nodded.

"I am of the opinion that someone from the outside infiltrated the prison and freed him," said Sui Feng.

"Someone infiltrated the prison?" asked Ukitake. "Are you sure about that?"

"I am Ukitake. I definitely saw someone standing beside Aizen when he briefly emerged from the prison entrance. I am not quite certain of his identity, but I believe he may have been Kurosaki Isshin."

"What, Isshin broke Aizen out of prison? That's impossible!" shouted Urahara in disbelief. "Isshin would never do something like that!"

"I wouldn't rule that out Urahara Kisuke," said Byakuya. "I remember Kurosaki Ichigo himself said his father vanished without a trace some five years ago. Who knows what he was up to during that time?"

"Whoa, let's not jump to wild conclusions Byakuya-chan," said Shunsui. "Until we have solid proof visual proof that Kurosaki Isshin was the person responsible for infiltrating the prison we cannot assume that he as the one who aided Aizen's escape."

"I agree with Kyoraku," said Shinji. "We might need to bring Isshin-san here and get him to give evidence before we declare him a criminal."

"Hmm, I concur with all of the points that have been made," said Yamamoto. "At this point in time we cannot determine Kurosaki Isshin's allegiance and motivations. However, in order to protect the safety of Soul Society and world, we must not let Kurosaki Isshin and Aizen Sousuke loose in the human world. Captain Sui Feng. Therefore, I hereby order the Patrol Force to send all of its units to the human world to search of them."

"Excuse me Sotaicho, did you say all of the Patrol Force's units?" asked Sui Feng.

"I did. Did you mishear me? I want you to send all of the Patrol Force's units to search for Kurosaki Isshin and Aizen Sousuke."

"Very well Sotaicho. I will issue the commands to my subordinates." Sui Feng bowed her head and turned to face the direction of the door when Yamamoto stopped her.

"The meeting has not finished yet Captain Sui Feng. There is one more urgent task we need to deal with," said Yamamoto. At this point the other captains noticed the Captain Commander's facial expressions darken. "We must take all measures to ensure that the Central 46 will not know about this incident." When the captains heard this, they were all surprised.

"We're not going to tell the Central 46?" asked Kensei.

"We'd be disobeying the Central 46's orders…" said Love. The other captains began muttering amongst themselves, wondering what was going on with Yamamoto's order. The Captain Commander silenced them by slamming his cane on the ground.

"There is a good reason why Central 46 should not be informed of Aizen Sousuke's escape from the underground prison. In recent weeks I have received information from some of the wise men telling me that the King's Realm has started monitoring the Central 46's communications with us. We do not know how long this has been going on or how much information the Central 46 has already divulged to them. At this moment in time we should proceed on the assumption that the confidentiality of the Central 46 has been compromised. Should the Central 46 know about Aizen Sousuke's escape then it is likely that those in the King's Realm will also know about it."

"And what would happen if the King's Realm finds out that Aizen's escaped?" asked Hitsugaya.

"It is highly likely they will dispatch officials here to investigate what has been going on," said Unohana. "The escape of a criminal from the lowest level of the underground prison is unprecedented in Soul Society's history, and to the people in the King's Realm would represent a catastrophic failure of the Gotei 13's security."

"You are correct in your assumptions Unohana Taicho. The honor of the Gotei 13 is at risk. Should the King's Realm intervene in our affairs it will throw all of the institutions of Seireitei into chaos. That is why we must take all steps to ensure that news of last night's incident does not reach the King's Realm!"

"Oh, I think it is already too late for that, old man," said an unknown voice. The Captain Commander and the other captains immediately looked around to see where the voice had come from.

"Who said that?" exclaimed Yamamoto. He stood up from his chair and scanned the room. His eyes widened in astonishment when a Senkaimon suddenly appeared near the front door. The other captains looked on in awe as the Senkaimon opened. A figure emerged from the void, one that made Yamamoto fall back onto his chair in shock.

He was dressed in set of robes far more elaborate and ornate than any of the thirteen captains. A white Shihakusho made of the finest silk imaginable was covered over by a flowing red haori marked with the insignia of the Royal Guard on both sides. The haori in turn was covered over by a long golden cape that was attached to the haori by two white shoulder guards. It was the man's face however, that caused Yamamoto to disbelief his eyes. Apart from having fiery red hair that flowed down past his shoulders and a much shorter beard, the man looked like a younger version of Yamamoto himself, with long drooping eyebrows and red eyes.

"It has been a long time…father," said the man with a smile. Every single other captain except for Shunsui, Ukitake and Unohana were stunned to hear this.

"Yamamoto Sotaicho has a son?" asked Rose. Shunsui and Ukitake nodded.

"Yamamoto Suzaku, I am surprised to see you again," said Shunsui.

" Hah, you haven't changed a bit, Kyoraku-kun,:" said Suzaku.

"Are you the only one who has come Suzaku?" asked Yamamoto. Suzaku grinned.

"_All_ of us have come, old man. We're here to clean up this dirty place." Upon hearing this Yamamoto screamed out "Impossible!" Suzaku stepped aside as several more figures emerged from the Senkaimon. They were dressed in similar clothing, with the only noticeable differences being the different colors of their haoris. A slender man with spiky blue hair and a goatee was followed by a stunningly beautiful woman with long flowing white hair whose appearance made Ukitake almost faint in surprise. They were followed by a giant of man who had to duck to exit the Senkaimon. Instead of flowing cape he wore a large tortoise shell upon his back. Upon his bald head was a large black tattoo in the shape of the Kido Corps' insignia.

"Unbelievable. I did not expect all of the Shitenno to come," said Yamamoto.

"Don't be so surprised yet old man. When I said all of us have come, I meant _ALL_ of us Royal Guards!" shouted Suzaku. "You know what that means right?" Before Yamamoto or the other captains could speak, five more figures, all dressed in the Shihakusho of the Royal Guard, emerged from the Senkaimon. Standing on the far left was a dark skinned man who wore a turban upon his head, and had a shorter than normal Shihakusho. Standing next to him was a man whose appearance caused Byakuya to freak out.

"Grandfather!" he shouted. The other captains took a close look at the man, and they indeed saw a person who looked like an older version of Byakuya, with the exact same white scarf draped around his neck and the trademark Kuchiki _Kensei-kan_ embedded in his hair.

Standing on the far right was a man dressed in the most tattered Shihakusho of all of the Royal Guards. He had what appeared to be a huge sword strapped to his back, and an eye patch over his left eye. This caused Kenpachi blurt out the comment "what the hell, that guy's copying my style!"

Standing next to him was a woman with glasses and short black hair tied up in a knot at the back. She glanced at Urahara Kisuke and gave him a condescending look.

It was the man in the middle of these five Royal Guards that caused the greatest astonishment and surprise among the captains. He was an incredibly old looking man, with spiky white hair that stood upwards and shining yellow eyes. He had a beard just as long as Yamamoto's except it was much thinner, with two shorter strands on either side. The man had his golden coloured haori and cape draped over his shoulders like Yamamoto's instead of wearing it like the other Royal Guard. Both of his hands were placed upon a black cane that ended in spiky point on the ground. The man's entire appearance radiated authority and power. The man ordered the other Royal Guards to stand behind him before emitting a burst of reiatsu that caused all of the captains except for Yamamoto to flinch.

"Hideyoshi Miyamoto Kenryusai…" said Yamamoto in awe.

* * *

Author's Notes

As I promised, this chapter begins an entirely new story arc with a shocking turn of events. Aizen escapes from prison with the help with Isshin!:) And the Royal Guard make their move. The new arc will be centered primarily around the Royal Guard and their interactions with Soul Society. However focus will also be on Isshin and Aizen's plans.

*About the Royal Guard:

The Royal Guard featured heavily in a previous fanfic of mine, but this time I aimed on giving each of the Royal Guards a distinctive appearance. The identities of the Royal Guards will be revealed in the coming chapters. Here is what I have to say about the two Royal Guards who have been named:

-Yamamoto Suzaku: I always wanted to expand on Yamamoto's back story, amd introducing a son of Yamamoto is a good way of doing so. In addition to his surname, Suzaku is based off the Vermillion Phoenix of the Four Japanase Sacred Beasts.

-Hideyoshi Miyamoto Kenryusai: As with Suzaku, Hideyoshi serves to expand on Yamamoto, and Soul Society's backstory. More will be revealed about him next chapter. In terms of his name, I wanted to him to have a similar sounding name to Yamamoto. His surname is based on the legendary Japanese warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi.


	43. Chapter 43: The New Order

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

*A/N: Thanks for everyone who is still following this story and posting reviews. I will promise to make the updates much more frequently. The upcoming chapters will see events and revelations never seen in Bleach before.

* * *

Chapter 43 The New Order

"Hideyoshi Miyamoto Kenryusai," said Yamamoto. "The first Captain Commander of the Gotei 13, and Commander of Division Zero, the Royal Guard Task Force." All of the other captains were astounded by Yamamoto's statement. Not even Shunsui, Ukitake or Unohana was aware that there had been a captain commander of the Gotei 13 before Yamamoto. They regarded the old man standing in front of the eight other Royal Guards with awe.

"Dispense with the pleasantries Genryusai," said Hideyoshi. "We have not come here for a reunion party."

"Then what is the reason for coming here, Kenryusai?" asked Yamamoto. "Have you not endangered the life of the Reioh by leaving the King's Realm defenseless?"

"That is the question I should be asking you Genryusai. You allowed the security of the King's Realm to be compromised the moment you allowed unauthorized individuals to infiltrate the Heart of Seireitei!" Yamamoto was thunderstruck by Hideyoshi's declaration. The other captains gasped in shock.

"Do not think we Royal Guards were not aware of what was taking place outside the King's Realm. All of us felt the great spiritual disturbance in the outside realm. We never imagined that the Gotei 13 would have been incompetent enough to let so many powerful spiritual entities so close to the King's Realm and the Ouken. An event of such magnitude demands a full explanation. That is why we have been monitoring Seireitei for the past six months."

"You have been spying on us?" asked a furious Yamamoto. "I thought the Royal Guard had a protocol against interfering in Seireitei's affairs."

"The Reioh was of the opinion that the disturbance in the Heart of Seireitei was serious enough to justify the Royal Guard's intervention," said Hideyoshi. "It appears that the Reioh's judgment was correct. Not only has the Gotei 13 under your watch allowed a Level 8 criminal to escape from the Underground Prison, but you also failed to apprehend the traitorous Royal Guard…Shiba Isshin!"

All of the captains, even Yamamoto himself, gasped at Hideyoshi's last words.

"What is the meaning of this Kenryusai? Are you saying Shiba Isshin is an even greater criminal than Aizen Sousuke?" asked Yamamoto.

"Ha, I can't believe you didn't know about it old man!" laughed Suzaku. "I thought all of the Gotei 13 should have known it by now. The Reioh has declared that the former Royal Guard is to be captured and executed for the massacre of the Royal Family!"

At this point several of the captains screamed out "Impossible!"

"The Royal Family was…massacred?" asked Shunsui.

"Isshin-san was the culprit?" Ukitake shook his head in disbelief. The entire room soon descended into chaos as the captains and the Royal Guards started muttering amongst themselves. Seeing the situation had gotten out of hand, Yamamoto shouted "Order! Order!" His voice was powerful enough to cause even the Royal Guards to stand silent.

"You and your men have some nerve to come here and make such outlandish accusations Kenryusai. I ask my first question again; what is your reason for bringing all of the Royal Guards here?" Hideyoshi shook his head at Yamamoto's question.

"You should have realized it by now Genryusai. We have come to take over the government of Seireitei. We will not stop until the stench of incompetence has been stamped out. You have two choices Genryusai. Either you and your men co-operate with us or we will punish you all with extreme prejudice."

Having been given an ultimatum to choose between two of the worst possible outcomes he could ever possibly imagine, Yamamoto clenched his fists in frustration. He eventually stood up and slammed his cane on the ground.

"All captains return to your barracks!" ordered Yamamoto. "I shall discuss with the Royal Guards in private." The other captains began leaving the 1st division office. Feelings of confusion and anxiety filled most of their hearts, as they dreaded at what the intervention by the Royal Guards would result in.

* * *

"Omaeda!" The members of the Second Division heard the voice of their captain Sui Feng shout throughout the barracks. Both ordinary Shinigami and Onimitsukidou Punishment Force guards did their best to stay clear of their captain, for they knew how legendary her temper was when she was in a bad mood.

Sui Feng stomped through the barracks and burst into the Lieutenant's living quarters. She found a fat tub of lard slumped down on a couch with a bag of potato chips in his hand.

"Omaeda!" shouted Sui Feng. She punched him hard in the stomach.

"Oww!" screamed Omaeda in pain. The chubby lieutenant tumbled off the couch and fell onto his butt. "What was that for Taicho?"

"Get up you lazy bastard! You're leaving Seireitei immediately. Gather all of your squad's men and head to the real world!"

"Huh, what for Taicho?" asked Omaeda. Sui Feng slapped him across the face.

"To search for Aizen you numbskull! If you had been quicker last night we might have actually stopped him from escaping!" yelled Sui Feng into Omaeda's ear. "You're not coming back here until you find him! Got that?"

"Alright, alright, I get it Taicho. Just give me a few minutes to get ready." A very rattled Omaeda bumbled out of the door to summon his Patrol Force squad members. When he was finally out of sight Sui Feng breathed a sigh of relief and headed for the captain's office. As she entered the office she was greeted by the familiar face of her mentor Yoruichi.

"Hey there Sui Feng," said Yoruichi.

"Yoruichi-sama!" cried Sui Feng in relief. She jumped and wrapped her hands around her beloved Yoruichi's waist. Yoruichi noticed that Sui Feng was close to tears.

"What's wrong Sui Feng? You look exhausted."

"You won't believe what happened at the captain's meeting," said Sui Feng. She gave Yoruichi a quick recount of what had transpired. When she finished, Yoruichi was left with a startled face.

"Are you telling me all of the Royal Guards have come here?" asked Yoruichi. Sui Feng nodded. Yoruichi started pacing about the room. _Oh no, what if HE_ comes?

At this moment there was a knock on the door.

"Sui Feng Taicho, there is someone here who wants to meet you," said a 2nd Division member.

"Just one moment," said Sui Feng. She went to the door and opened it. She saw two figures standing in front of the doorway. The first figure was a Reversal Counter Force messenger. Standing behind him was a man she had seen at the captain's meeting: one of the nine Royal Guards.

"You!" exclaimed Sui Feng in surprise. It was the man with dark skin and wearing a turban on his head. The Reversal Counter Force member bowed his head and quickly left, leaving Sui Feng with the mysterious Royal Guard.

"What is your reason for coming here?" asked Sui Feng.

"To inspect the Second Division and the Onimitsukidou. Am I not allowed to see how the two organizations I once ruled over are going?" answered the man. Sui Feng panicked and backed away from the door. _This guy was once head of the Onimitsukidou? Then that means he must be…_

"Who is it Sui Feng?" asked Yoruichi. There was no need for a response. As soon as she saw the man at the door Yoruichi knew who he was. Her entire body suddenly felt as if it had been hit by a heavy weight, causing her to drop to her knees in despair.

"Father…" Yoruichi stuttered.

"Hello there, my daughter," said the man.

"Who is that man Yoruichi-sama?" asked Sui Feng.

"He is the 21st Head of the Shihouin, the King of the _Tenshiheisoban_, the former Captain of the Second Division and former Head of the Onimitsukidou, Shihouin Ranjana," said Yoruichi. The man called Ranjana smiled as he heard Yoruichi say his titles.

"I see you still remember my honorifics, Yoruichi-hime."

"What are you doing here father? You told me you were never coming back when you left for the King's Realm."

"There has been a change of circumstances. My commander Hideyoshi-sama has ordered all of us Royal Guards here. The Captain Commander Yamamoto himself has agreed to let us take over the running of Seireitei." Ranjana paused for a moment and observed Yoruichi's attire. He was distressed by the fact she was wearing an awfully skimpy blouse and a pair of black tights. "I should also ask you a question Yoruichi. Why are you not wearing the Shozoku uniform? Who is this lady wearing the Second Division captain's haori in front me?"

"She is the current Captain of the Second Division and Head of the Onimitsukidou father," said Yoruichi. She stood up and stared her father in the eyes. "Her name is Sui Feng, of the Feng family."

"She is from the Feng clan? Since when did our servant family take control of the Onimitsukidou?"

"When I resigned my offices and titles more than a century ago father." Yoruichi's answer struck a heavy blow through her father's heart. Ranjana was shocked for a moment, before a somber expression appeared on his face.

"I am disappointed in you Yoruichi. You have brought the honor the _Tenshiheisoban_ into disrepute."

* * *

At the same moment, a similar encounter was occurring at the Kuchiki Manor. When Byakuya received a message from one of his servants, he knew his grandfather was paying him a visit. Sure enough, as he arrived at the front gate, he saw his grandfather Kuchiki Ginrei, looking not a day older since the last time Byakuya had seen him.

"Ojii-sama," said Byakuya. He opened the gate and then hugged his grandfather.

"My word you have grown up Byakuya-chan," said Ginrei. "The last time I saw you, you were still a sprightly young lad."

"Much has changed in Soul Society and our family since you left." Byakuya invited his grandfather to his living quarters. As the two of them walked along the corridors of the Kuchiki Manor, numerous servants who passed them by gasped when they saw the figure of Ginrei. Several servants shouted out "It's Ginrei-sama!" Byakuya ordered two servants to serve him and his grandfather tea as they reached the main living quarters.

As they entered the living quarters, the first sight Ginrei looked upon was the shrine with a photo of a beautiful young woman on the left side.

"Who is that young lady Byakuya?" asked Ginrei.

"She was my beloved wife, Hisana," said Byakuya. "She passed away more than fifty years ago."

"What noble family was she from?" Byakuya shook his head at his grandfather's question.

"She was a commoner. I fell in love with her when I met her on a stroll through the Rukongai districts. We married after a brief but passionate courtship."

"You married a commoner?" Ginrei was aghast at Byakuya's statement. "Just what did your parents think of your actions Byakuya-chan?"

"Father and mother died soon after you left for the King's Realm Ojii-sama. "Uncle Genma and the servants all respected my decision."

"Oh, Genma-san is still alive? How is he?"

"He is quite old now but he is still healthy." Two servants entered and served them tea. As they drank Byakuya discussed family matters with his grandfather. Eventually they came upon the one question that Byakuya dreaded.

"Did you have any children with Hisana?" asked Ginrei. Byakuya shook his head.

"She passed away only five years after we married. Since then I have refused to marry again," said Byakuya. It was Ginrei's turn to shake his head.

"I cannot believe you are still so stubborn Byakuya-chan. How could you let your feelings blind you to your role as Head of the Kuchiki family? A head's main role is to secure the continuation of our clan for the next generation!"

"I know father. I have not shirked away from my responsibilities."

"Then tell me, who is the successor to the Kuchiki family? Who is the next to inherit our title?" Byakuya pointed to the photo of Hisana.

"Hisana had a younger sister. After she passed away I found her at the Shinigami Academy and adopted her into the family. Her name is Kuchiki Rukia. She is the Princess of the Kuchiki family and will succeed me if or when I die."

* * *

The guards standing at the front gates of the 11th Division barracks did not expect to see a man wearing a lavish if slightly unkempt black haori and cape standing in front of them. On closer inspection the guards noticed the man had an eye patch like similar to the one their captain had on his left eye, and had a huge man-sized sword strapped to his back.

"Is this the Eleventh Division?" asked the man. His gruff voice exuded power and authority.

"Uh yeah this is the 11th division," said one of the guards nonchalantly.

"Take me to your captain." The other guard hastily opened the front gate and offered to show the mysterious man to their captain. As the man walked through the barracks he focused his attention on a number of disturbing sights. He saw a group of men crouched over in a corner playing cards for money. He saw another group of men sitting upon the roof of a dormitory drinking sake and smoking pot. Other notable sights such as near-naked man lying naked on the ground with a bottle of sake in his hands, and a several more men engaging in fist fights greatly disturbed the man with the eye patch.

Most of the people he had passed paid little or no attention to the mysterious figure who had waltzed into their barracks. It was only when the man reached the barracks' central compound that others took notice of him. The 11th division squad member showed the man to the captain's office before hastily running off. Two people were standing guard outside the office. One was a bald man with strange red markings around his eyes. The other was a man who had strange purple and yellow feathers hanging off his right eye and what appeared to be an orange chest plate over his standard Shihakusho.

"Excuse me, is this the 11th Division captain's office?" asked the man with the eye patch. The two men standing outside the door, the third seat Ikkaku and his friend Yumichika, regarded the stranger with suspicion.

"Yeah the captain's asleep inside," said Yumichika.

"Do you have business with him?" asked Ikkaku.

"I want to see him right now."

"Sorry, no can do. The captain's having his mid afternoon siesta right now. He'll kill any one of us if we disturb him." Ikkaku's response was met with a stern reaction from the man, who suddenly intensified his spiritual pressure. Both Ikkaku and Yumichika were stunned by the man's power.

"I insist that you allow me to see your captain," said the man. Ikkaku and Yumichika grudgingly obliged. They opened the door to the captain's office.

"Taicho! There's someone here who wants to see you!" shouted Ikkaku. The stranger saw a man wearing a tattered white haori bearing the "Number 11" kanji on the back lying on the ground. He had unusually spiked black hair that had small yellow bells at the end of each spike. Lying on the ground next to the man was a tiny figure who on closer inspection appeared to be a young girl with pink hair.

"What did I tell you about disturbing me whilst I'm having my siesta Ikkaku?" asked the 11th Division Captain Zaraki Kenpachi.

"Sorry Taicho. We have a strange here who demanded to meet you," said Ikkaku half-heartedly. At this, Kenpachi slowly got up from the floor and turned around to look. When he saw who the stranger was his eyes immediately widened in surprise.

"You! You're that man who appeared at the captain's meeting, with the eight others!" exclaimed Kenpachi.

"Oh, so you recognize me," the stranger grinned smugly.

"Who the heck are you? You look somewhat similar to me. And what's with that sword on your back?"

"Are you referring to this?" The stranger motioned to the sword hanging from his back. "This is my Zanpakuto _Masamune_. I am the former captain of the 11th Division, Toujou Kenpachi."

"Huh you're name is also Kenpachi?" Kenpachi was confused.

"I see. The Gotei 13 has been maintaining the same tradition of having the 11th division captain bearing the name Kenpachi. What is your title, captain?"

"You want to know who I am? I am the Zaraki Kenpachi, the 11th Kenpachi to hold that name!"

"The eleventh huh? Looks like there's been a constant turnover of captains since I left." Toujou took a deep breath then stared Kenpachi in the eyes. "I am the first Kenpachi."

"Hiyori, can you pass me the spanner?" asked Urahara. The Twelfth Division captain and his lieutenant were busy putting the finishing touches to the new Dangai monitoring system. The old system had been destroyed when the former captain Mayuri rampaged through the Research and Development Institute. For months after the incident Urahara and his subordinates took their time to rebuild the facility. Many important communications systems remained half completed up until the night of Aizen Sousuke's escape from the underground prison. Upon the orders of the Captain Commander, Urahara and his men did their best to hastily complete the surveillance systems monitoring the Dangai so that the Onimitsukidou's Patrol Force would have a lead on where to begin their search in the real world.

Hiyori handed Urahara the spanner and returned to the task she was doing before. However her concentration was interrupted when the third seat Akon burst into the room.

"Taicho, we have a visit from an important guest," said Akon.

"An important guest?" asked Urahara.

Urahara and Hiyori quickly finished what they were doing and went to the captain's office. When they arrived there they were taken aback by the sight of a familiar yet strange looking woman regarding the officer's computer monitors.

"It, it can't be!" gasped Hiyori in astonishment. "Hikifune-san?" The black-haired woman turned and glanced at Hiyori with a smile.

"I am happy that you still recognize me Hiyori-chan," said Hikifune Kirio. The former 12th division captain and current Royal Guard walked over and patted Hiyori on her head. "You've grown a lot since the last time I've seen you." The Royal Guard lifted her head and glanced at Urahara.

"You must be the current Captain of the 12th division," said Hikifune. Urahara nodded.

"Urahara Kisuke, nice to meet you." Urahara offered his hand out but Hikifune refused to shake it. She gave him a contemptuous look.

"This place no longer resembles the 12th division barracks that I knew. What is with all of these computers and scientific equipment?"

"The 12th division has undergone a transformation after you stepped down as captain," explained Urahara. "Our barracks are now home to the Research and Development Institute. We are responsible for researching and developing new technology to be used by the Gotei 13."

"Was this your doing Urahara Kisuke? I heard rumours that a third seat from the Second Division was going to take my place as captain. I didn't think you'd reshape this division this much."

"Is there something wrong with the way I've reshaped the 12th division?" Urahara had a feeling that Hikifune did not like the changes to her former division.

* * *

Across Seireitei, the Royal Guards were making their presence known through surprise visits to various Gotei 13 division barracks, and regular consultations with the Central 46. A day after their arrival, the Commander of the Royal Guards Hideyoshi approached Yamamoto and handed him an order from the Central 46. When Yamamoto read through the order he was in total disbelief.

"You have got to be joking!" exclaimed Yamamoto. "I will not tolerate such an outrageous order!"

"An outrageous order? Are you out of your mind Genryusai? That order comes with the full authorization of the Central 46," said Hideyoshi firmly. Yamamoto seethed in anger.

"Explain yourself Kenryusai! How could you let the Central 46 dictate such an order? He has done nothing wrong to justify such treatment!" Yamamoto struggled to contain the rage he was feeling. He could no longer tolerate the continued usurpation of his authority.

"Are you questioning the authority of the Reioh Genryusai? Our authority comes from the king himself. Do you intend to defy him by going against our orders?"

At this, Yamamoto had no choice but to back down. He sat down on his chair and clenched the scroll tightly in his hands. Bands of sweat flowed down the side of his forehead. He knew that at any moment now officials from the Central 46's Judicial Branch were heading for the 5th Division Barracks to put Lieutenant Kurosaki Ichigo under arrest. There was nothing he could do to stop it.

* * *

Ichigo had no idea what was happening. One minute he saw a bunch of strange looking people approach his division's barracks; the next minute he had been hauled in chains all the way to the Central 46's trial chamber. Now he was standing, with his hands tied his back by a wooden scaffold, in the middle of a vast underground assembly hall. He looked up and saw several rows of seats surrounding the centre of the hall. Each of these rows had about ten or so plaques with numbers on them. Behind these plaques sat faceless men in white haoris who Ichigo presumed were the judges and wise men of the Central 46. A light suddenly appeared in the middle of the hall, illuminating Ichigo's figure.

"What is the meaning of this?" asked Ichigo in an angry voice.

"Silence! You may not speak unless you are ordered to!" said the fierce retort of a faceless judge. Ichigo gnashed his teeth in frustration, but he realized it was better to obey the order. After a moment's silence the voice of another judge spoke.

"Fifth division Lieutenant Kurosaki Ichigo, you have been brought before us under indictment for a number of charges. The first and foremost charge is for aiding and abetting the escape of Aizen Sousuke from the underground prison." Ichigo was shocked and astonishment by what he was hearing. He couldn't resist a temptation to speak out.

"What Aizen escaped from his cell? When did this happen?"

"Silence! One more comment and you shall be charged with contempt of court!" yelled one of the judges.

"Aizen Sousuke escaped from his cell on the night of the 15th," explained another judge. "He was clearly spotted by the 2nd Division Captain Sui Feng and the Onimitsukidou's Detention Unit. He and another individual however disappeared before they could be apprehended. Now then, Kurosaki Ichigo, we believe that you have information regarding his current location."

"How the heck would I know where Aizen is right now? I didn't even know he had escaped until you guys told me just then!" exclaimed Ichigo.

"Do not tell lies! Where were you on the night of the 15th?" asked the voice of the first judge Ichigo had heard.

"Asleep in my living quarters at the 5th Division barracks! My captain Hirako Shinji-san can provide a solid alibi for my whereabouts!" At this point the judges of the Central 46 began arguing amongst themselves. From Ichigo's perspective, it appeared as if the case against him was falling apart. He breathed a small sigh of relief, hoping that the ridiculous charges against him would be dropped. After a few minutes the judges finally came to a decision.

"The Central 46 has agreed to set aside the charge of aiding and abetting Aizen Sousuke's escape from the Underground Prison." _Yes!_ Ichigo thought. His happiness was short lived however for the judge who spoke the first proclamation delivered a second one. "However, there is another charge that you have been indicted for, and that is concealing the location of the capital traitor, Shiba Isshin.!" Ichigo's eyes widened in shock and surprise.

"Huh, my old man is a traitor?" asked Ichigo.

"So you admit it! You have a relationship with Shiba Isshin, do you not?"

"Of course I do! He's my old man!" Ichigo's declaration momentarily stunned all of the judges of the Central 46. "Do you guys have a problem with that?"

"Kurosaki Ichigo, it appears you have admitted the guilt of your crime. You have failed to inform the Central 46 that the former Royal Guard, Shiba Isshin, was your father. For this offence alone you shall be punished by a term of imprisonment of fifty years in the third level of the Underground Prison, Shugo. The decision of the Central 46 is final. Take the prisoner away!"

As the guards approached him to drag him off to prison, Ichigo stood in a dazed state. He could not believe what he had heard about his father. _What have you done old man?_

* * *

Story Notes:

The Royal Guard are formally introduced in this chapter. I drew upon as much of the existing Bleach lore as possible in creating the character designs of each of the Royal Guards. Keen readers may notice that two of the Royal Guards come directly from the manga.

*Hideyoshi Miyamoto Kenryusai: His surname is based on the famous Toyotomi Hideyoshi who unified Japan. I intend to portray his character as a mentor figure for Yamamoto. Being the first Captain Commander of the Gotei 13 and the Commander of the Royal Guards, he is arguably one of the strongest Shinigami ever.

*Shihouin Ranjana: An original character, but one based off the existing lore. Ranjana is the name of a writing system that developed in India in the 11th century. Since Yoruichi appears to of Indian appearance, I thought it made sense for her father to an Indian name. Since it was mentioned in the manga that Yoruichi was the first ever female head, her father must have been the previous 2nd division captain and head of the onimitsukidou.

*Kuchiki Ginrei: He is the same character as the one featured in the Pendulum arc and the anime-only Zanpakuto Rebellion Arc, though with some distinct changes in his character.

*Hikifune Kirio: The only Royal Guard who comes from the manga itself. I have endeavoured to give Hikifune much more charactersation than the Hikifune who appeared in Bleach: After the War.

*Toujou Kenpachi: Like Ranjana, another original character based off as much of the exisiting Bleach law. His surname Toujou means "Pinnacle" or "Paramount", so his name as a whole means something like "Paramount Kenpachi".


	44. Chapter 44: The Great Escape

**Bleach: The Afterlife Saga**

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

*A/N: Thanks for all the reviews of the last chapter. I'm happy that interest in this story has picked up again. I'll endeavour to respond to as many reviews and comments as possible.

* * *

**Chapter 44 The Great Escape**

`The trial and subsequent imprisonment of the 5th division lieutenant Kurosaki Ichigo soon became common knowledge throughout the Gotei 13. Because of the climate of fear and suspicion created by the presence of the Royal Guard, few Shinigami were willing to speak openly about their opinions. However in private, many of the captains and lieutenants felt Ichigo's imprisonment was completely unjust, with his trial by the Central 46 being nothing more than a sham organized by the Royal Guard.

One captain who was particularly angered by the decision was Ichigo's captain Hirako Shinji. In the days after the decision Shinji paced around his office cursing to himself that he failed to prevent the judicial officers from taking Ichigo away. He desperately thought up ways to free Ichigo from his incarceration but all the plans Shinji came up with could not be done without breaking the law of Soul Society. Eventually, Shinji made up his mind to approach the Central 46 himself and request that Ichigo be pardoned or his sentence reduced. As he was about to leave his division office, Shinji was surprised to see the faces of Urahara, Yoruichi and Byakuya.

"Hello Shinji-san," said Urahara.

"What are you guys doing here?" asked Shinji.

"You've heard of Ichigo's imprisonment right?" said Yoruichi. Shinji nodded.

"We've come to discuss a way to free him," said Byakuya.

"Why did you guys come to my place?" asked Shinji.

"The 2nd, 6th and 12th divisions are being watched by members of the Royal Guard," said Urahara. "The three of us are already risking a great deal just by coming here. Your division is one of the least monitored by the Royal Guard so there should be little risk of our conversation being spied upon."

"I understand. Let's discuss matters inside." Shinji showed his guests to his office and ordered one of his division members to serve them with tea. Once tea was served, the four of them discussed the situation involving Ichigo's incarceration.

"So pleading clemency from the Central 46 is off limits?" asked Shinji. Yoruichi nodded.

"The Central 46 is firmly under the control of the Royal Guard now. Not even Yamamoto Sotaicho has the power to influence their decisions."

"Our only choice is to break Kurosaki-san out of the Underground Prison," said Urahara.

"That was my next idea too," said Shinji. "But they've surely intensified the security around and inside the prison after Aizen's escape. It would be impossible for anyone to infiltrate it without being spotted."

"Don't underestimate our connections Captain Hirako," said Byakuya. "Yoruichi, Urahara and I all have powerful links to officials within the Kido Corps, the Onimitsukidou and the Central 46. We should be able to obtain the necessary equipment to bypass the prison's security systems."

"Okay, we've got the tools we need. But who's going to do the breaking in? If any of us attempt to rescue Ichigo we will end up losing our ranks and probably be tried by the Central 46 too," said Shinji.

"We already considered that risk Hirako-san," said Urahara. "It would indeed be foolish if any of us personally took a hand in this operation. Which is why we have decided to let Kurosaki-san's nakama rescue him."

"Who?"

"There are two people amongst the Gotei 13 who are close to Kurosaki Ichigo," said Byakuya. "One of them is my sister Rukia, and the other is my lieutenant Abarai Renji. Abarai already knows of this plan; I briefed him about prior to coming here. I shall head to the 13th division to tell Rukia about it too."

"So, we're putting our faith in two lieutenants," said Shinji. "If they fail all of us will be sent to jail. Even if they succeed in freeing Ichigo, I doubt they could remain in Seireitei. Do you have any plans of them after Ichigo is freed?"

"I have no doubt in my mind that Kurosaki-san will go after his father at the first opportunity. Should he find his father he'll also track down Aizen as well. If he does, we'll be able to find out just why Isshin-san broke Aizen out of prison," said Urahara.

"We'll be killing two birds with one stone," said Yoruichi.

"Abarai and Rukia will follow Kurosaki Ichigo in mission. To assist them, we shall do our best to allow them to open a Senkaimon the real world. Once they've escaped there, the Royal Guard can do nothing to chase after them."

"Sounds like a good plan. So, when do we start this operation?" asked Shinji.

"We shall begin the operation tonight," said Byakuya.

* * *

Kurosaki Ichigo felt he had lost everything. As he languished in a cold and dank cell devoid of any light Ichigo recalled everything he had lost within the space of 24 hours. His status as Shinigami of the Gotei 13 and his rank as the 5th Division Lieutenant had been stripped from him. His Zanpakuto Zangetsu had been confiscated and placed into storage. His sentence of fifty years ensured that it would be an eternity before he could ever see his family or nakama again. But none of the things he had lost weighed as heavily in his mind as knowing that his father had betrayed him. Even as he was being carted off through the Underground Prison to his cell, Ichigo still clung on to the faint hope that his father was entirely innocent. This hope was shattered forever when, as he was about to be put into his cell, one of the Royal Guards, a man with flaming red hair, gave him a withering remark about his father.

_"You don't know how much this pleases me boy. Your imprisonment will serve as revenge for what your father did." _

_ "What the hell did my father do to justify my imprisonment?"_

_ "Heh, heh, haven't you heard? Your father massacred the Royal Family."_

As the doors of his cell shut upon him, Ichigo's heart was utterly crushed by the news. The insane laughter of the Royal Guard as it faded into the distance would forever mark the moment when Ichigo's hope was snuffed out.

As he sat against a wall, dressed in a white kimono that all prisoners of Soul Society whore, Ichigo couldn't help but think of what his father was doing at this very moment. He recalled the shock and surprise he had felt when his father appeared as a Shinigami at the climax of the Battle for Fake Karakura Town. Back then, Ichigo had refrained from asking his father about his past history. Now Ichigo wished he had, for Isshin had never told his son exactly how he ended up in the real world in the first place. The bits and pieces he had heard from Urahara and Kukaku gave Ichigo the impression that Isshin had been involved in some sort of incident in the King's Realm that somehow led to the banishment of the Shibas from Seireitei. But he still couldn't believe that the same royal family that Ichigo had fought his hardest to prevent Aizen from killing had already been killed by his own father. It made all the sacrifices Ichigo had made seem meaningless.

"You stupid old man. If I ever see you again I'm gonna so fucking kill you," Ichigo said to himself.

* * *

Isshin sneezed. He thought he was imagining things when he somehow heard his own son's voice echoing in the distance as he flash stepped across the roof tops of Karakura Town.

"Did you catch a cold?" asked Aizen. The former arch traitor had annoyed Isshin with his constant quips while they had travelled through the Dangai, something that made Isshin wish he hadn't freed him in the first place.

"One more smart comment from you and I'm going run you through with my _Engetsu_," said Isshin.

"Trying to kill me eh? You do know that the Hougyoku is still fused with me," said Aizen. Isshin was well aware of that fact. Killing Aizen was nigh on impossible. He turned his attention away from murderous thoughts when he spotted a familiar building down below.

"We're here." Isshin flew towards the ground. Aizen followed. The two former Shinigami landed on the streets below. Isshin walked up the steps to a sizeable three storey apartment that was located in the richest part of Karakura Town. He knocked upon the front door. A short while later he heard footsteps coming towards the door and a moment later the door opened. They were greeted by a middle-aged man with short silver hair, glasses, and a trimmed goatee.

"Hello there Ryuken-san," said Isshin.

"So you've come back Kurosaki," said Ryuken. He spotted Aizen standing behind Isshin. "And what's this, isn't that that infamous Shinigami Aizen Sousuke? I thought he was imprisoned by Soul Society."

"He was. I broke him out of prison." Ryuken was surprised and amused by Isshin's answer.

"This is quite a change Kurosaki. Weren't you his mortal enemy a mere seven years ago? You went to such lengths as to regain your Shinigami powers just to kill him."

"The circumstances have changed. I need Aizen's knowledge for an important task. One that you and I are familiar with." When Isshin mentioned the word 'task' Ryuken instantly knew what Isshin was talking about.

"Are you referring to our search for that mysterious 'Azrael' person throughout Europe?" asked Ryuken. Isshin nodded. "What relevance does Aizen have to our mission?"

"I believe Aizen knows where this 'Azrael' is. I came that conclusion when I was sifting through information regarding the activities of the shadow Quincies and the appearance of the Doomwalker in Soul Society four years ago. My hunch was confirmed when I visited Aizen in his cell. He basically admitted that some other entity had been controlling all of his actions."

"Please Kurosaki Isshin. I do not like the word 'controlled'," quipped Aizen. "It makes me sound like I was the mindless slave of another."

"All right, how about the word 'influencing'? This 'Lord Azrael' was influencing your thoughts," said Isshin. This time Aizen did not comment back. The former traitor tried desperately to hide his secret shame behind a fake smug smile.

"Are you two done with your side conversation?" asked Ryuken. "Let me get this straight. Aizen knows where this 'Azrael' is and he's going to direct you to him." Isshin nodded.

"You wanna come along? You might find out the secrets behind your race's dark history if you do." Ryuken was initially reluctant to accept Isshin's offer, since he vowed to himself to never involved in his clan's dreadful past. But then the promise of finally bringing closure on the shameful legacy of his ancestor Siegfried was too enticing for Ryuken to resist.

"I accept your offer Kurosaki. Let me get my possessions ready and I shall join you." Within hours, the three shadowy figures, Isshin, Aizen and Ryuken, embarked on a hunt for a shadowy figure that no one in Soul Society was aware of.

* * *

Rukia head a knock on the door of her dormitory. As with most days of the working week, the 13th division Lieutenant had chosen to stay in the private living quarters she had at the division barracks instead of returning to the Kuchiki Manor. Most of the time, she was rarely disturbed unless her captain Ukitake had an urgent matter for her.

"Who could it be at this time?" Rukia thought. She checked the clock on the wall and saw that it was already past eight o'clock. She went to the door and opened it. She was startled to see the figure of her brother standing at the doorway.

"Nii-sama! What are you doing here?" asked Rukia in exasperation. Byakuya begged Rukia to be quiet and motioned her to shut the door. Rukia noticed he was wearing a cloak covering his face.

"I need to speak to you about two urgent matters Rukia," said Byakuya.

"Does Ukitake Taicho know about it?" Byakuya nodded.

"Ukitake arranged for me to have this meeting with you."

"So what are the two matters you wanted to talk to me about?" asked Rukia. Her brother took a deep breath, as if he was unsure about how to begin.

"The first matter involves a matter relating to our clan. My grandfather has arrived here in Soul Society." Rukia's mouth gaped in surprise.

"You mean Kuchiki Ginrei-sama?" Byakuya nodded.

"There is more. Ojii-sama has requested the two of us should marry."

"What? He wants me to marry you Nii-sama? Why?"

"To produce a male offspring who will inherit the Kuchiki bloodline. My grandfather was greatly displeased at me not having sired a son in the sixty or so years since I became the clan head. With no potential suitors from the other noble families available he insisted that I marry you."

"And have you agreed to his request Nii-sama?" asked Rukia. Byakuya shook his head.

"I told him I needed time to make up my mind. But we can put aside my grandfather's request for the moment. There is another far more urgent matter we need to discuss. Kurosaki Ichigo has been imprisoned by the Central 46." The news rocked Rukia to the very core of her being. Her body started shaking and a sense of agitation and anxiety gripped her heart.

"Ichigo is in jail? How? When?" Rukia's fears were allayed somewhat when Byakuya briefed her on what had transpired.

"So Ichigo is now in a cell on the third level of the Underground Prison," said Rukia. Her brother nodded. Already Rukia's mind was racing as to the possible ways to get Ichigo out of the mess he gotten himself in. Her brother noticed the change in her facial expression,

"I see that you're already thinking of freeing Kurosaki Ichigo," said Byakuya. Rukia wasn't surprised that her brother had seen through her thoughts; she was more surprised at his rather indifferent reaction.

"I am. Do you have anything against me doing so Nii-sama?"

"Not at all. The true reason why I've come here is to provide you the means of rescuing him." Rukia was astounded by what her brother had said. She did not think it was possible for her brother to have such a change of heart.

"Why are you helping me Nii-sama? I thought you were staunchly against any breaking of the rules," said Rukia. "Back when I was sentenced for execution, you ready to kill Ichigo simply to stop him from rescuing me."

"I owe Kurosaki Ichigo a great debt," Byakuya admitted openly. "I told you before of the struggle I faced when I found out you had been sentenced to death. What I didn't tell you was how close I came to dying myself. I secretly swore a vow to myself that if you died either at the hands of Sokyoku or my own, I would kill myself out of shame of forever tarnishing Hisana's memory. Kurosaki Ichigo saved me from having to make such an awful decision. He also made me the see the error of trusting in Soul Society's laws. Since then I have come to regard any proclamation of the Central 46 questionable unless it came with the full backing of the Captain Commander."

"And Ichigo's arrest wasn't approved by Yamamoto Sotaicho?" asked Rukia. Byakuya shook his head.

"Ukitake told me that Yamamoto was ready to burn the Central 46 to the ground for having the audacity to punish Kurosaki Ichigo without his approval. He was only stopped because he faced the might of nine Royal Guards, and because he couldn't disobey an order of the Reioh. I and all of the other captains have felt Kurosaki Ichigo's punishment to be unjust and unacceptable. I know you must be feeling the same way. Which is why I have with me here the tools you need to infiltrate the underground prison and free him."

Byakuya handed Rukia a strange black cloak, a large bundle of prison keys, and a parchment. Rukia studied the items closely.

"What are these items Nii-sama?"

"The cloak is a special cloak designed by Urahara Kisuke himself. It completely masks all traces of your reiatsu and casts a powerful Kido spell around your body such that to the unsuspecting eye you will appear almost invisible. The set of keys belong to the Onimitsukidou's detention unit. They were given to me by Shihouin Yoruichi. These keys will allow you to open all of the Underground Prison's doors. The parchment contains the location of Kurosaki Ichigo's cell, the location of the storage cell for his Zanpakuto, and the designated keys required to open both those cell doors."

Rukia was initially overwhelmed by the incredible generosity and spirit that her brother had shown her. The depth of foresight and planning it must have taken to procure such items must have been astonishing.

"Thank you so much Nii-sama. Am I supposed to carry out the mission by myself?"

"No, Renji has also been briefed of the mission. He shall accompany you in freeing Kurosaki Ichigo. Once he is rescued, the three of you should head for the real world immediately."

"We must head for the real world? Why?"

"It is no longer safe to stay in Soul Society anymore. The Royal Guard is steadily tightening its control over Seireitei. Already many of the Gotei divisions, including my own, are being watched. Furthermore, I have no doubt that Kurosaki Ichigo will be heading for the real world at the first opportunity."

"Why is that Nii-sama?" Byakuya secretly whispered in Rukia's ear about the circumstances behind Aizen's escape from the Underground Prison.

"Huh, Ichigo's dad helped Aizen to escape from jail? Why would he do such a thing?"

"That is something I am hoping you and Kurosaki Ichigo can find out when you track down Aizen and Kurosaki Isshin. If you can bring them back to Soul Society, then all the better, but if you can't, finding out the truth from them will help us remove the slanderous accusations the Royal Guard have leveled against us captains."

As she considered the enormity of the task her brother had assigned to her, Rukia wondered if she was capable for the job.

"Nii-sama, do I really have the ability to accomplish this task?" asked Rukia. At this point Byakuya surprised Rukia by giving her an uncharacteristic hug and then a kiss on the cheek.

"Believe in yourself Rukia. You should know in your heart how much Kurosaki Ichigo means to you." Rukia blushed at her brother's words. "You are strong enough now to no longer need my protection, nor are you bound follow my commands. From now on, your destiny is in your hands alone."

"Thank you Nii-sama." Rukia gave her brother a hug in return and watched as Byakuya quietly left her room.

Rukia waited about half an hour after her brother's departure before deciding to make her move. She left a note on her captain's desk. Then, utmost secretly, she jumped over the walls of her division barracks.

"Hey Rukia," said a familiar voice nearby. Rukia turned to look and saw the face of her childhood friend Renji.

"Renji! You've been waiting for me?" asked Rukia.

"Been standing here for half an hour. I accompanied Kuchiki Taicho to your division's barracks," said Renji. "He instructed me to wait here for you to come out. I take it he gave you the things we need?" Rukia nodded.

"Did Nii-sama give you anything Renji?"

"Yep. He gave me two special Danreishinkis, and also these three small boxes." Renji showed Rukia one of the boxes. Inside the box was a small balloon like object and a gikongan.

"What are these Renji?" Rukia examined the balloon in her hands.

"These are portable gigais made by Urahara-san. They inflate like this." Renji blew into the balloon and within seconds it expanded into a life-sized gigai replica of Renji, complete with human clothing. "These gigais also have the special property of being untraceable."

"Like the gigai I once wore when I lost my powers?"

"Yep they have the same property. Urahara-san made gigais for all three of us, including Ichigo. Kuchiki Taicho instructed me that once we get to the real world we are to enter them."

"Alright I get everything now. Shall we begin the mission?"

After Renji put the gigai and everything else he had shown Rukia back inside his robes, the two of them put on the special cloaks that Byakuya had given them. With their reiatsu undetectable and their figures camouflaged in the shadows, Rukia and Renji were able to flash step across Seireitei at their maximum speed. Within minutes they had reached the entrance to the Underground Prison. As they perched on the roof a nearby building, they saw the entrance to the prison was guarded by over thirty guards from the Detention Unit.

"Looks like they really intensified the security after the first breakout," said Renji. Rukia nodded. Despite wearing the special cloaks, Rukia and Renji were taking no chances in their approach to the gate. They crept silently towards the guards, making sure not to accidentally bump into any of them. Then, when they were in a position to attack all of the guards at once, Rukia cast a _Hakufuku_ spell at full power. A white flash of light momentarily blinded all of the guards. Before they had any idea what had happened, the guards started collapsing one after another. Soon all thirty guards were fast asleep on the floor.

"Do you have the keys?" asked Renji. Rukia nodded and took out the set of keys Byakuya had given her and handed them to Renji. She then took out a small parchment and unrolled it.

"Let me see, the key to the prison's front gate is…this one!" Rukia pointed to a wooden key with four sets of interconnected ridges. Renji put the key into the gate's lock and turned. The lock gave way, allowing the door to open. The two of them snuck inside, then Renji closed the gate, making to relock it properly.

"Okay, we're inside. Now what?" asked Renji. Rukia cast a small _Soukatsui _spell to provide herself some light. She then scanned the parchment again.

"Ichigo's on the third floor. In cell number 315," said Rukia.

"Let's go then." Renji and Rukia headed down the stairs of the Underground Prison as fast as they could. The prison was packed with more guards than usual due to the increased security presence. None of them noticed the presence of two unauthorized intruders in their midst. Furthermore whatever alarm systems that were in place to detect intruders failed to detect them, a sign that the special cloaks Byakuya had given them were working.

A short time later the pair of them had reached the third level.

"Alright, Ichigo's cell should be nearby," said Rukia.

* * *

Ichigo woke up from his slumber. He thought he was imagining things when he started hearing _footsteps_ outside of his cell. But then the footsteps got louder and louder until it appeared to Ichigo that they were close by. Then the footsteps stopped. A few seconds later Ichigo heard the rattle of _keys_ outside the door.

"What the hell?" Ichigo thought to himself. He wondered if it was the Detention Unit guards coming to give him some food. He listened closely as the keys were inserted into the lock upon the door. A _click_ told Ichigo that whoever was outside had succeeded in unlocking the door. Ichigo watched intently as the door slowly opened. Then, a sudden bright light hit his face, momentarily blinding him. When Ichigo regained his eyesight he was astounded to see two faces staring at him. Two faces that were awfully familiar. He was lost for words.

"Rukia, Renji…why are you guys here?" asked Ichigo in astonishment.

"To free you of course," said Rukia with a smile on her face. "You risked your life to rescue me when I was imprisoned inside a cell like this one. I thought it was appropriate to return the favor." Rukia and Renji helped Ichigo to his feet. Renji provided Ichigo with a clean Shihakusho, which Ichigo hastily out on.

"We don't have much time before the guards figure out you've escaped. We've got to get out of here now," said Renji.

"Wait Renji, what about my Zanpakuto? They confiscated it from me," said Ichigo. His eyes widened in surprise when Rukia handed him a very familiar looking katana wrapped up in a white cloth-like scabbard.

"We made sure to get your Zanpakuto out before we came to rescue you," said Rukia.

"I owe you one Rukia. This time you really saved me from total despair," said Ichigo.

"You can thank me and Renji later. We've got to get out of here now." Ichigo nodded. He followed Rukia and Renji along the corridors of the prison until they reached the flight of stairs leading upwards. Unfortunately as they got to the stairs they saw a whole bunch of guards. The guards immediately spotted the three of them and yelled out.

"Oh fuck we screwed up badly!" swore Renji. "We should have put our cloaks back on."

"It would have made no difference. They would have spotted Ichigo regardless," said Rukia. Ichigo immediately unsheathed his Zanpakuto and brandished it in his hand.

"Heh, who cares about being spotted now. I'm itching to get back at these guards," said Ichigo with a grin. With incredible speed he charged at the guards and sliced through six of them in quick succession. Though the wounds Ichigo gave them were shallow, the guards were nevertheless injured enough to be knocked out instantly.

"Don't get too carried away Ichigo!" exclaimed Rukia.

"Forget it Rukia. Now's not the time for subtlety," said Renji. With a bellowing war cry he joined Ichigo in the fray, cutting down a few more guards. Rukia shook her head as she followed the two boisterous men up the stairs. As the three Shinigami advanced back up the prison levels, they proceeded to incapacitate any guards who stood in their way. Soon the guards realized they were completely outmatched against three lieutenant class Shinigami. Instead of fighting them head on, the guards decided to run outside of the prison and alert the Royal Guards. Ichigo, Rukia and Renji noticed the change in the guards' tactics.

"Shit they're calling for reinforcements," said Renji.

"We've got to escape the prison before they do!" shouted Ichigo. The three of them ran up the stairs as fast they could. Within minutes they reached the front gate. Seeing it locked, Rukia was about to get out the keys to unlock it but Ichigo decided to release his Zanpakuto and fired a _Getsuga Tensho_ blast at the gate. The blast blew the gate wide open, allowing the trio to escape outside. They found themselves surrounded by more than thirty Detention Unit guards. Clearly the _Hakufuku_ spell Rukia had cast upon them had worn off.

"We don't have time to deal with them Ichigo!" exclaimed Rukia.

"I know that!" Ichigo unsheathed his Zanpakuto and then fired a _Shakkaho_ spell at the guards' feet. This move distracted the guards enough for the three Shinigami to jump onto a nearby roof top and flash step away.

"Where to now Ichigo?" asked Renji.

"Once we get clear of our pursuers we'll open a Senkaimon to Karakura Town. I'm going after my dad," said Ichigo.

"I knew you would do that," said Rukia with a smile.

"We should head for the White Way gate first before we open a Senkaimon," said Renji. Ichigo and Rukia both agreed. When they neared the White Way gate however, they found their escape route blocked by three figures with immense spiritual pressures. They were accompanied by more than a dozen Executive Militia forces. Rukia and Renji gasped in horror. Ichigo gnashed his teeth in frustration.

"Aren't those the Royal Guard?" asked Renji.

"Crap, they found us," said Ichigo.

"What do we do now?" asked Rukia.

"Apprehend them!" shouted one of the Royal Guards. Before the order could be executed, three figures suddenly appeared in between Ichigo, Rukia and Renji and the Royal Guards. The people on both sides gasped in astonishment when they saw who they were.

"Nii-sama!" yelled Rukia. Byakuya was accompanied by Yoruichi and Urahara.

"Go now Kurosaki-san. We'll hold them off," said Urahara. Ichigo tried to say something but Renji hastily dragged both him and Rukia off in another direction.

"This is our chance Ichigo! Open a Senkaimon!" yelled Renji. Ichigo promptly did so. The three of them rushed through the Senkaimon, before it closed upon them.

* * *

Comments:

*Ichigo's escape from prison: In planning Rukia and Renji's breakout of Ichigo from the underground prison, I took extra care to ensure that the escape did not sound contrived or unbelievable by having Urahara, Yoruichi and Byakuya plan and co-ordinate the overall mission. Both the invisible cloaks and the special Danreishinkis are variations of items that were featured in the original manga, while it wasn't a stretch to assume that Sui Feng would have access to the Underground Prison's keys, which she would have given to Yoruichi. Also, Byakuya as the Head of the Kuchiki House would have powerful ties with the Central 46, and so would be able to obtain information on Ichigo's trial and imprisonment.

*Lord Azrael: He is named after the Archangel of Death in Christian, Jewish and Islamic traditions. You will be seeing more of this guy in upcoming chapters.


	45. Chapter 45: End of the Gotei 13

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

*Thanks for everyone who sent in reviews for the previous chapter! I appreciate all the feedback!

* * *

**Chapter 45 End of the Gotei 13**

Ichigo, Rukia and Renji ran as fast they could, even though they were already in the safety of the Dangai, with the guidance of three Hell Butterflies.

"What's the plan after we arrive in the real world Ichigo?" asked Rukia.

"We meet up with Ishida, Inoue and Chad. Then we go after Aizen," said Ichigo. "I heard from the jailors that my old man helped Aizen escape from his cell. Most likely he's still with Aizen right now. If we can track down Aizen we can find my old man too."

"Oh yeah, I just remembered now," said Renji. He took out one of the Danreishinkis that his captain had given him. "Rukia and I have a pair of special Danreishinkis that are locked onto to Aizen's reiatsu. We should be able to get a rough bearing on his location once we're in the real world."

"Sounds good Renji. Now all we need to do is to gather the rest of our nakama."

"Um, Ichigo, what will happen to Nii-sama, Urahara-san and Yoruichi-san?" asked Rukia. For a moment Ichigo said nothing, knowing full well Rukia's feelings about her brother.

"I'm sure they'll be fine somehow."

* * *

Byakuya, Urahara and Yoruichi found themselves surrounded by more than fifty members of the Onimitsukidou, along with three Royal Guards, Kuchiki Ginrei, Shihouin Ranjana, and Hikifune Kirio. They could sense the spiritual pressures of four other Royal Guards heading their way.

"Geez talk about a hopeless situation," said Urahara.

"Are you prepared to die Kisuke?" asked Yoruichi with a smirk.

"Hmm, perhaps not yet. What about you Byakuya-san?" The nobleman gave him an arrogant stare.

"I have better things to do tonight than die," said Byakuya. He turned his attention to his grandfather, who was staring at him with eyes filled with disappointment.

"Urahara Kisuke, Kuchiki Byakuya and Shihouin Yoruichi, the three of you shall submit yourselves to the custody of the Central 46, or else we shall destroy you right here," said Hikifune Kirio.

"Oh, what's going to happen to us if we surrender Hifikune-san?" asked Urahara.

"Trying to flirt me with me Urahara Kisuke?" Hikifune sniggered. "You'll be most likely sentenced to death. Along with your friends here. The escaped criminal Kurosaki Ichigo and the two lieutenants who helped him escape will also be sentenced to death."

"If that is the fate that awaits us, then we decline your offer, Hikifune Kirio," said Yoruichi.

"Heh, so be it." Hikifune was about to motion the Executive Militia to strike when she was stopped by Ranjana.

"Let me deal with Yoruichi Kirio. A father must always discipline his daughter when she misbehaves," said Ranjana.

"What are you going to do to me father? Smack me on the ass?" asked Yoruichi.

"Your punishment will be far worse than that daughter of mine." Ranjana flared out his spiritual pressure and advanced towards Yoruichi. Yoruichi suddenly disappeared, causing her father and the Executive Militia to chase after her.

"I'll deal with Urahara Kisuke and Kuchiki Byakuya then," said Hikifune.

"Wait a second Kirio. Byakuya is my responsibility," said Ginrei. Hikifune gave him a withering look, as if expressing her disappointment at being denied another prey.

"Fine then, have it your way. Urahara Kisuke will be mine to punish alone." The former 12th Division captain drew her sword and advanced towards the current 12th division captain. Both figures flash stepped away, leaving Ginrei to face his grandson by himself.

"Why Byakuya? Why have you broken the laws of Soul Society?" asked Ginrei. "I thought you've long grown out of the reckless antics of your youth. It seems you haven't matured at all since I left for the King's Realm."

"I have Ojii-sama. I am well aware of everything you taught me. I understand that as the Head of the Kuchiki Clan I must set the example for everyone else in Soul Society," said Byakuya. "But I was taught an important lesson by the heir to the Shiba clan, Kurosaki Ichigo. He taught me that some of our laws are not upholding, if they somehow inflict great injustice upon the innocent." Ginrei was aghast at what he was hearing from his grandson. Anger built up in his heart and veins started growing around his forehead.

"You have disgraced the Kuchiki clan Byakuya. You have tarnished our traditions with the heretic ideas of the Shiba family," said Ginrei. The Royal Guard unsheathed his sword and advanced towards Byakuya. Byakuya placed his hand upon his sword's scabbard but he was reluctant to unsheathe it.

"I do not wish to fight you Ojii-sama," said Byakuya. "Is there any way I can atone for my sins?" Ginrei stopped and pondered his grandson's proposals.

"I suppose there is one way I could forgive your actions. Accept the ultimatum I gave you and marry your sister. Once the two of you are married you must produce an heir as soon as possible!"

"What will happen to Rukia once the son is born Ojii-sama?"

"She will be stripped of her status as a Shinigami and forever confined to the manor. A wife of a Kuchiki clan head has no need to work." Byakuya considered the implications of his grandfather's demands. Accepting them would result in Rukia forever losing her freedom and dignity. That was an outcome that was unacceptable for Byakuya. He had vowed to himself to never cause his sister suffer ever again.

"I am sorry Ojii-sama. I cannot accept your demands." Byakuya unsheathed his Zanpakuto and pointed it at his grandfather. "I would rather let Rukia choose her own destiny than forcing her to marry me. She is no longer simply a daughter of the Kuchiki clan."

"So, you have made your choice Byakuya," said Ginrei. His voice carried with it a tone of disappointment. The time for talk was over. The two Kuchikis, grandfather and grandson, faced each other off. After a few seconds of staring, the two men flash stepped towards each other. As soon as they crossed paths, Byakuya thrust his katana at his grandfather's back. Ginrei countered with the same action. Both blades clashed in midair, generating sparks and creating a shock wave of reiatsu that surrounded them.

"An excellent _Senka_," said Ginrei. "Your skills have really improved Byakuya."

"I'll show you my true strength Ojii-sama," said Byakuya. He jumped several feet back and held his Zanpakuto upright in front of him. "Scatter, _Senbonzakura_." His Zanpakuto disintegrated into a thousand blades shaped like cherry blossoms. Byakuya directed the mass of blades at his grandfather. Ginrei calmly observed the cherry blossom blades flying towards him, before shaking his head in disappointment.

"You still have a long way to go to surpass me." Ginrei held his Zanpakuto upright in front of him. "Glitter, _Sendaikongoseki_." In an instant his Zanpakuto disintegrated into millions of blue diamond gems that formed a shield around his body. The wave of pink cherry blossom blades crashed upon the shield, then fell to the ground. Ginrei then directed the swarm of diamond gems to fly at Byakuya. Byakuya tried desperately to raise his own shield of cherry blossom blades but the wave of diamonds flew past his body in a flash. It took Byakuya a few seconds to register what had happened. Then all of a sudden his haori was shredded to pieces. Byakuya collapsed onto the ground in total shock. Not only had he been defeated in an instant, his grandfather had actually been going easy upon him. _He could have killed me at that moment_. For the first time in his life, Byakuya felt despair in his heart. He looked up and saw his grandfather walked towards him, having already resealed his Zanpakuto.

"I am extremely disappointed Byakuya. I thought after all of these years you would have been able to surpass me," said Ginrei. "You have disgraced the honor of our family."

"You are right Ojii-sama, I've let you down terribly," said Byakuya. He stood up and held his sealed blade in his hands. Then, to the surprise of Ginrei, Byakuya used his sword to cut off the _kenseikan_ headpieces that were on his head.

"What are you doing Byakuya? Those are our treasured family heirlooms!"

"I am abdicating my position as the Head of the Kuchiki clan Ojii-sama. I am also resigning as Captain of the 6th division. Both of these titles are yours your Ojii-sama." As the last of the _kenseikan _fell to the ground, Byakuya calmly walked away from his grandfather. Ginrei picked up the fallen headpieces on the ground. For a moment he thought about stopping his grandson, but something in his heart stopped him doing so. He could only watch as Byakuya left Seireitei through a small passage near the White Way gate.

* * *

Yoruichi flew across the rooftops with her father and the Executive Militia hot on her heels. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed a figure catch up to her in a flash.

"Hey there gorgeous," said Urahara.

"What's the matter Kisuke? Can't fight a girl?" teased Yoruichi. Urahara grinned.

"At least I don't have daddy issues." His quip earned him a slap on the face.

"Some help you are Kisuke. We've got two Royal Guards and half the Executive Militia chasing us."

"Couldn't you do something about the militia? They revere you as a goddess after all."

"Hmm that sounds like a good idea Kisuke. I'll try that." Yoruichi suddenly turned around and waited for her father and the Executive Militia to catch up to her. They quickly surrounded Yoruichi and Urahara. Hikifune landed beside Ranjana a second later.

"Have you finally decided to give yourself up my daughter?" asked Ranjana.

"Not yet father." Yoruichi stuck out her tongue. Ranjana shook his head.

"You need to be taught a lesson. Executive Militia, apprehend them!" The fifty or so militia hesitated at first, before they proceeded to charge at Yoruichi

"Heh heh, have you forgotten who am I?" asked Yoruichi with a smug grin. She disappeared from sight, then reappeared a moment later in the midst of the militia. Then, in a series of movements so fast that no one could see what she was doing, Yoruichi to incapacitate all fifty of the militia. When she appeared beside Urahara a few seconds later, all of the militia had collapsed unconscious.

"If you're going to punish me father should know better than sending Executive Militia against me," said Yoruichi. "I wonder why they're even accompanying you. I thought the Executive Militia was Sui Feng's to command alone."

"There has been a change in circumstances," said Ranjana bluntly. "I have taken over the captaincy of the 2nd Division and control over the Onimitsukidou. The one called Sui Feng has been demoted to an ordinary militia." Yoruichi couldn't believe what her father had said.

"You stripped Sui Feng of her rank? How could you?"

"It was a simple matter of getting the Central 46 to issue a decree. Be glad that she hasn't been sent to the Maggot's Nest for insubordination. You should be more worried about yourself." Before Yoruichi could react her father suddenly cast an unchanted Bakudo 63 _Sajo Sabaku_ on her, binding her arms and legs.

"Yoruichi-san!" shouted Urahara. His moment of distraction was all that was needed for the Royal Guard Hikifune to hit him with a _Rikujokorou_ spell.

"This is the end of the line Urahara Kisuke. I have researched into your past history," said Hikifune. "You were the one who created the Hougyoku and responsible for the hollowfication experiments 120 years ago weren't you?"

"How, how did you know that?" Urahara was stunned that Hikifune knew about his past history. His eyes widened in surprise when she showed him a parchment.

"Have you forgotten that the Central 46 maintain records of every trial and decision they hear? I only needed to flick through the past cases in order obtain information about you."

Urahara gnashed his teeth in frustration. He tried to break free of the Kido spell, but quickly senses it was hopeless when he detected five other enormous spiritual pressures coming rapidly towards them. Within a few seconds five more Royal Guards landed nearby, completely encircling Urahara and Yoruichi.

"Well done in apprehending them, Ranjana, Kirio," said the Commander of the Royal Guards Hideyoshi. His reiatsu was so great that both Urahara and Yoruichi started to wilt under the spiritual pressure he was exerting.

"Urahara Kisuke, Shihouin Yoruichi, you have both broken Soul Society's fundamental laws," said Hideyoshi. "You have two choices. Either submit yourselves to the custody of the Central 46 to await your trials or be executed by us now." Urahara and Yoruichi looked nervously around. Several of the Royal Guards were licking their lips, as if they were eager to perform the execution.

"Looks like this is the end for both of us," said Urahara.

"Shit, I don't want to die like this," said Yoruichi in despair.

"Your time is up. It appears that you have refused to surrender yourselves. Very well then, let the execution commence!" shouted Hideyoshi. Just as he gave the signal for his fellow Royal Guards to attack, two figures suddenly appeared beside Urahara and Yoruichi. The Royal Guards stopped in their tracks, their eyes widening in surprise when they realized who the two strangers were.

"Genryusai!" shouted Hideyoshi. The Commander of the Royal Guards glared at Yamamoto. The Captain Commander of the Gotei 13 was accompanied by Kido Corps Captain Tsukabishi Tessai.

"How are you doing Kisuke-san, Yoruichi-san?" asked Tessai.

"Other than being tied up, well I guess," said Yoruichi. The three of them stopped their chat when they noticed that Yamamoto was about to say something.

"I forbid you from harming any of my captains Kenryusai," said Yamamoto. "Everything they have done tonight has been done according to my orders."

"Your orders? So you are the mastermind behind Kurosaki Ichigo's escape from prison!" exclaimed Hideyoshi in rage. Yamamoto grinned smugly at Hideyoshi.

"I make no apology at all for being involved in the plot to break Kurosaki Ichigo from his incarceration. He did not deserve to be tried and punished in such a manner. That you would resort to manipulating the Central 46 into staging a sham trial like that shows how far you have fallen Kenryusai."

"Enough of your babble old man!" shouted Suzaku. The fiery red haired son of Yamamoto unsheathed his sword. "Why don't you just die now?"

"It is too soon for me to die yet, especially not to the likes of you, my son," said Yamamoto. "Tessai, activate the spell!"

"Yes Sotaicho!" The Kido Corps captain clapped his hands before slamming them upon the ground. A green magic circle appeared in the area around his body, large enough to encompass Yamamoto, Urahara and Yoruichi. One of the Royal Guards, a large man with a turtle shell on his back, realized what was happening.

"He's casting _Kukanten'i_! We must stop him at once!" The man began a chant for a powerful hado spell, but it was too late. Before any of the Royal Guards could react, a bright flash of light blinded them all. By the time their eyesight was restored, the four captain class individuals they had surrounded were gone.

"Darn you Genryusai!" Hideyoshi clenched his fists in anger.

* * *

The escape of Kurosaki Ichigo from the Underground Prison and defection of four of the Gotei 13 captains including the Captain Commander himself had enormous repercussions for the future of the Gotei 13 and Seireitei as a whole. The morning after the incident, the Central 46 passed a new decree that the Royal Guards were now the absolute authority over Seireitei. Within moments of gaining this authority the Commander of the Royal Guards Hideyoshi ordered a large plaque to be nailed to the front gate of every Gotei 13 division barracks. The plaque contained a whole new series of decrees that all members of the Gotei 13 had to follow, with the punishment for disobeying them automatic imprisonment, exile from Seireitei, or even summary execution. The most onerous commands related to the conduct of the remaining Gotei 13 captains. Each captain had to undergo a thorough interrogation by the Royal Guards to determine if they were suitable for their office. Those who refused to undergo the interrogation had to resign their positions at once.

It did not take long for many Shinigami among the Gotei 13 to feel angry about the new decrees, but the wiser heads of each division knew it was better not to protest openly. Instead, many of the captains and lieutenants decided to meet in secret. One such meeting involved Shunsui, Ukitake, Unohana and Hitsugaya. The four captains met in a private building well away from their own divisions.

"Did you guys read the new rules the Royal Guards imposed upon us captains?" asked Hitsugaya. The other three nodded.

"Shinji-san has already told me that he, Kensei, Love and Rose are planning to resign their positions and voluntarily place themselves in the Maggot's Nest," said Shunsui.

"What? They're choosing to resign their positions? Why?" Ukitake was astounded.

"I would imagine they fear the Royal Guards finding out about the hollowfication experiences they went through," said Unohana. "After all, the Central 46 once ordered them to be destroyed like hollows."

"So the Visoreds don't want their dark secrets to be found out," pondered Hitsugaya." Where does this leave us four then? If we resign our positions, then there will be no captains left to run the Gotei 13."

"We still have Kenpachi left," said Ukitake. Shunsui and Unohana shook their heads.

"I have a feeling Kenpachi-san will be kicked out of the Gotei 13 soon. Nanao-chan told me he destroyed the plaque of commands as soon as he saw them upon his division barracks."

"Ugh that's not good at all," said Hitsugaya. "Looks like we have no choice but to comply with the new rules. We can't let the Royal Guards run roughshod over Soul Society."

"Hitsugaya Taicho is right. The four of us have nothing to hide should we be subjected to interrogation," said Unohana. "We shall strive to maintain the unity of the Gotei 13 as much as we can, and hope that Yamamoto Sotaicho and the other captains return." Shunsui, Ukitake and Hitsugaya all agreed with Unohana's suggestion.

* * *

As Shunsui predicted, Kenpachi's act of defiance against the authority of the Royal Guards would have dire consequences for his division, and himself. A few hours after he destroyed the plaque of commands that had been posted upon the barracks' front gates, his division received another unwelcome visit from the Royal Guard known as Toujou Kenpachi.

"Captain, that other Kenpachi is back again!" exclaimed a frantic Ikkaku. He and Yumichika burst into the captain's office as soon as they spotted the Royal Guard.

"He looks really pissed off too!" added Yumichika.

"What beef does he have with me this time?" asked Kenpachi. "I already answered a whole lot of his pain in the ass questions." The 11th division captain dragged hauled himself up and grabbed his Zanpakuto.

"You're going to great that other Ken-chan, Ken-chan?" asked Yachiru. The short pink-haired girl jumped upon Kenpachi's shoulders as he went out of his office.

It did not take long for Kenpachi to confront Toujou Kenpachi. The Royal Guard was standing in the middle of the barracks' training ground, with a furious expression on his face. His spiritual pressure alone had caused many nearby 11th division members to collapse unconscious.

"You again, what is it this time?" asked Kenpachi as he saw the Royal Guard. Toujou Kenpachi held up the two broken pieces of the plaque that had been placed outside the 11th division barracks.

"Do you have any explanation for this Zaraki Kenpachi?" asked Toujou. "I found this plaque shattered into pieces when I came knocking on your division's front gate."

"What of it? That plaque was an eyesore so I decided to remove it," said Kenpachi.

"Do you realize what you have done? That plaque contains a list of commands that all captains of the Gotei 13 must follow. By breaking that plaque are you signaling to us that you disobey the orders of the Royal Guard?"  
"Hell yeah! I don't take any stinking orders from you royal cocksuckers. The only man I respect and follow is old man Yamamoto." Toujou was not amused by Kenpachi's insult. The Royal Guard flexed his reiatsu in a display of power that scared the living daylights out of Ikkaku and Yumichika. Both of them cowered behind their captain.

"Zaraki Kenpachi, you are not fit to be a Shinigami of the Gotei 13, let alone captain of the 11th Division," declared Toujou. "I know about your past history and how you came to be captain. You were admitted into the Gotei 13 without going through the Academy or passing the entrance exams. You fought and killed your predecessor in front of 200 spectators, and by doing so you were awarded the rank of captain without knowing Bankai or even your own Zanpakuto's name." Kenpachi rolled his eyes at Toujou's Rank.

"I've heard all of that rubbish before. So what of it?"

"I have the authority to strip you of your rank in an instant, but I am a man of honour just like you. I shall give you a chance to prove that you are worthy to remain as a captain of the proud 11th division. How about we have a duel between the two of us. If you win you'll get to keep your rank. If you lose I shall not only strip your title as captain from you but you shall be expelled from the Gotei 13. Is that a fair deal?"

"How about if I win, you and your posse get to go back where you came from," said Kenpachi with a grin. Toujou laughed.

"Ha ha, very well then, I accept your condition." With that, preparations were quickly made to hold an official duel between the two Kenpachis in the middle of the 11th division barracks' main courtyard. The word was sent out across Seireitei, and soon more than 200 Shinigami arrived at the 11th division barracks to await the upcoming duel.

"Kenpachi Taicho! Kenpachi Taicho!" shouted the 11th division members as they saw their captain walk into the middle of the courtyard. His opponent, the Royal Guard Toujou Kenpachi, was already standing in the courtyard about fifteen metres away, facing him.

"Go Ken-chan, beat that silly looking copycat!" cheered Yachiru.

"Get off my back Yachiru. I can't fight seriously with you on it," said Kenpachi.

"Okay." Yachiru landed on the ground and ran to join Ikkaku and Yumichika. "I'll be cheering for you Ken-chan!" Ikkaku and Yumichika were less optimistic about their captain's chances of winning.

"Ikkaku, how strong do you think that other guy is?" asked Yumichika. "You've fought the captain before so you know how strong he is." Ikkaku pondered for a moment.

"He looks real tough. That flare of reiatsu he did earlier, I've never felt such pressure in my life before," admitted Ikkaku. "I don't know if our captain can match it."

Kenpachi bowed to Toujou as a show of respect. The Royal Guard returned the compliment. The 11th Division's 10th seat, Aramaki Makizo, gave the signal for the fight to begin. Kenpachi wasted no time in unsheathing his ragged Zanpakuto.

"Alright let's get this show started," said Kenpachi with a grin. Toujou surprised Kenpachi however by reaching into his haori and pulling out a Wazikashi instead of using the oversized nodachi that was strapped to his back.

"Hey, why the hell are you using that puny sword and not your Zanpakuto? Fight me fairly and squarely!"

"I want to test my strength against you first before I resort to my Zanpakuto," said Toujou calmly. "Do not worry about me being at a possible disadvantage. Such considerations will serve to handicap you fighting ability."

"Are you insulting my strength by implying that that puny sword of yours is a match for my katana?"

"Not at all. I want you to prove to me that you're strong enough to be worthy of facing my Zanpakuto," said Toujou. "Come on, attack me as if you intend to kill me. Do not hold back your strength."

"Hah, fine with me! Just don't cry about getting killed afterwards!" Kenpachi rushed at Toujou with his sword held high above his head. He slashed down hard at Toujou's head. To Kenpachi's surprise, the slash was blocked by the short sword. Thinking it was just a lucky coincidence, Kenpachi intensified his assault, unleashing a flurry of swings and thrusts at Toujou. The Royal Guard parried all of the attacks, and then proceeded to flash step past Kenpachi to appear behind the captain. It took several seconds for Kenpachi to realize that his opponent had gotten behind him.

"Is that all you've got?" asked Toujou. All of a sudden numerous cuts appeared across Kenpachi's chest and upon his face. Whilst the cuts weren't deep, they still caused blood to gush out of the wounds. _What the hell? I didn't see him hand those hits upon me at all_, Kenpachi thought.

"I thought I told you to fight me at full strength," said Toujou. "You are still suppressing your power. That eye patch drains a considerable portion of your reiatsu doesn't it?"

"Huh you know about my eye patch?" Kenpachi instinctively touched his right eye. Toujou pointed to the eye patch over his left eye.

"My eye patch also drains large portion of my reiatsu. I can tell that you and I think alike. We both want our battles to last longer and be more enjoyable. But there are times where restricting your own power merely serves to handicap yourself." The Royal Guard's advice was beginning to annoy Kenpachi. _Tch, I don't want to take off my eye patch so soon, but if that guy shuts his trap up it will be worth it_

"Fine, I'll show you the full extent of my power. Just don't be too overwhelmed by it!" yelled Kenpachi. He took off his eye patch and threw it onto the ground. In an instant his spiritual pressure skyrocketed, causing an immense column of reiatsu to rise up into the sky. The pressure he was exerting was so intense that many of the weaker 11th division members started to faint.

"The captain's taken off his eye patch already," commented Ikkaku.

"He'll surely win now right?" asked Yumichika.

"I don't know. That other guy doesn't look like he's fazed at all." Ikkaku was deeply troubled by how quickly his captain was pulling out his trump cards.

"Hey, now that I've taken off my eye patch, shouldn't you do the same?" asked Kenpachi. He pointed his sword at the Royal Guard.

"I do not need to remove it at the moment," said Toujou nonchalantly. "My current spiritual pressure will be sufficient."

"Oh yeah, we'll see about that!" Kenpachi raised his sword above his head again and slashed down at Toujou's head. The air pressure that was created from the swing was enough to cause a shockwave almost ten metres wide around the two combatants. To Kenpachi's utter shock, Toujou had blocked his attack with the palm of his left hand.

"That slash was weak," said Toujou. Before Kenpachi could react, the Royal Guard slashed across his chest with the short sword, causing a large amount of blood to spurt out. Kenpachi had to jump back several steps to recover. All of the 11th division members were astounded that their captain's swing had been blocked barehanded.

"I am greatly disappointed in you Zaraki Kenpachi," said Toujou. "I thought you would give me a most entertaining battle for the first time in a long while. I didn't expect to find your full unrestricted power to be lower than my suppressed level of strength. Before I finish you off, I shall give you one last chance to prove yourself. As a Kenpachi, you surely must know the way of the Bushido."

"Yeah I do. Old man Yamamoto taught it to me when I entered the Gotei 13. I don't really like using it though. But if that will make you shut your trap for good, then I'll show it to you," said Kenpachi. He shifted his stance, placing both his hands upon his sword, and gripping it tightly in the middle of his body. Then Kenpachi raised his sword above his head and slashed at Toujou with all of his weight. The slash was so powerful that it bisected a thirty metre long portion of the courtyard to a depth of over ten feet, and created a large amount of dust. When the dust cleared, Kenpachi gasped in disbelief. Toujou had dodged the slash by stepping to one side. The Royal Guard looked completely unharmed.

"Impossible, he dodged my _Ryodan_ without a scratch…" stuttered Kenpachi.

"I must admit I am impressed by that slash. Had I blocked it with my short side I would have suffered a severe injury," said Toujou. "Still your Kendo skills are not enough to defeat me. To end this fight I will show you what true Kendo is." The Royal guard put the sword back into his haori and then released the scabbard that was holding his Zanpakuto to his back. He gripped the handle of his Zanpakuto and with one swing brought the giant nodachi in front of his body. Toujou then gripped the seven foot long sword's handle with both hands.

As he stared at his enemy's sword, Kenpachi felt an emotion he had never experienced in his life: fear. It was the fear of hopelessness and despair, that no matter how hard he fought he stood absolutely no chance of beating his opponent. _I can't believe it. He's way stronger than I am_. Kenpachi could only watch as Toujou brought his sword high above his head.

"Like your Zanpakuto, my _Masamune_ is in a constant release state. It is so powerful that I have to keep it hidden at all times except when I'm fighting seriously," said Toujou. "Otherwise its blade could kill anyone close to me. So long Zaraki Kenpachi." Kenpachi saw the attack coming and tried to block it with his sword. It was hopeless. The moment Toujou brought down his nodachi it was over. Kenpachi was cut from his right shoulder all the way down to his waist. It was a miracle that he hadn't been instantly split in two. An enormous amount of his blood spilled on the ground around him.

"Blast…" said Kenpachi. With a sigh of despair he fell onto his back. The last thought before he lost consciousness was just how much control and precision his opponent had over his sword. Toujou's final attack had somehow avoided creating a huge shockwave or creating a massive hole in the ground. _Damn it, why am I so weak?_

"KEN-CHAN!" cried Yachiru. The pink haired lieutenant rushed to the side of her beloved captain. "Ken-chan, please don't die!"

"Do not worry small lady, I shall call for medical treatment at once," said Toujou. Within a few minutes the 4th Division Captain Unohana Retsu arrived at the scene.

"Oh my, you have really pushed yourself to the limit this time, Kenpachi-san," said Unohana.

"Big mother Unohana, is Ken-chan going to okay?" asked a sobbing Yachiru. Unohana gave her a warm and compassionate smile.

"Do not worry, I shall heal his wounds in no time."

A sullen Eleventh Division watched as Unohana summoned her Zanpakuto _Minazuki_ and provided emergency treatment to Kenpachi. Within a few minutes the 11th division captain's injuries had closed up and most of the blood he had lost was restored.

"I'm still alive…?" asked a confused Kenpachi when he opened his eyes.

"You were lucky that Toujou-san here was gracious enough to spare your life, Kenpachi-san," smiled Unohana. "You are always too reckless with your body aren't you?"

Kenpachi said nothing as Unohana applied bandages around his chest area.

"Are you okay Ken-chan?" asked Yachiru. Kenpachi looked at his lieutenant and smiled.

"Yeah I'm fine," Kenpachi lied. In truth he was now an emotional wreck.

* * *

A few hours later the entire 11th eleventh division was dismayed to learn that their beloved captain had not only resigned his rank and title, but that he had also quit the Gotei 13. A large number of sullen division members gathered near their barracks' front gates to see a heavily bandaged Kenpachi exit the barracks. He was wearing a tattered set of rags similar to the ones he had first worn when he entered the Seireitei many long years ago. His hair was no longer spiked and the bells were gone. The only remnant of his past appearance was the eye patch over his right eye. After a glance back at his division's barracks, Kenpachi headed for Seireitei's White Way Gate.

A short while after leaving the 11th division, Kenpachi was annoyed to see Yachiru, Ikkaku and Yumichika chasing after him.

"Taicho!" exclaimed Ikkaku and Yumichika. "We're coming with you!"

"Get lost! I'm no longer your captain anymore!" shouted Kenpachi in frustration.

"I'm not leaving you Ken-chan," Yachiru hugged Kenpachi's right leg. "I'll follow you wherever you go."

"It's the same with us," grinned Ikkaku. "If you're leaving the Gotei 13 then we'll leave too. I swore that I would die serving you Kenpachi Taicho. I do not want to serve under any other captain but you." Kenpachi pondered for a moment the words of his loyal subordinates, and realized that having their company on his exile from Seireitei wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Heh, do what you like, but just remember that we're all outcasts now," said Kenpachi. With the resignation of Kenpachi, the Gotei 13 ceased to exist in all but name.

* * *

Comments

This chapter sees the first debuts of strength from the Royal Guards, and also some major character development for Byakuya and Kenpachi. I wanted both captains to suffer devastating defeats in order to provide them the motivation to get stronger. They'll both be back later in the story with power ups.

*Sendaikongoseki (千秋金剛石): Ginrei's Zanpakuto. It means "Millenium Diamond" in Japanese. I tried to give him a Zanpakuto that was similar to Byakuya's in name, design, and ability.

*Ryodan: Kenpachi's infamous 2-hand attack. It means 'Bisection' in Japanese. I found out its name from the Third Bleach Databook.

*Masamune: Toujou Kenpachi's Zanpakuto. Like Kenpachi's Zanpakuto and Ichigo's former Zanpakuto, it is always in its released form. It is named after the legendary Japanese swordsmith of the 13th century.


	46. Chapter 46: The Search for Isshin

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

*Thanks to everyone who posted reviews for the last chapter! I appreciate all of your comments and feedback!

* * *

**Chapter 46 The Search for Isshin**

A Senkaimon appeared above the nighttime sky of Karakura Town. Three black robed figures ran out of the gate, before stopping in mid air. As the gate closed behind them and disappeared the trio took their time to catch their breath.

"Huff, huff, did we really need to run that fast Ichigo?" Renji panted heavily. "I'm all out of breath."

"You need to exercise more Renji," Rukia joked. "You're a bit out of shape."

"Sorry about that guys. I was just desperate to get to the real world," said Ichigo. When he had recovered his breath, he closed his eyes and began a scan of the Karakura skyline for spiritual pressures. Soon he detected a cluster of large yet familiar spiritual pressures in the same place. _I've found them_.

"Alright, I've found our nakama. They're about several hundred metres that way." Ichigo pointed to the northeast, where a significant amount of tall buildings were located.

"Karakura Honchou? Is that where they are?" asked Rukia.

"Man your reiatsu sensing is better than mine Ichigo," said Renji.

"Haha not really. I'm familiar with their spiritual signatures so I knew what to look for. Anyway, let's get moving." With a burst of reiatsu Ichigo, Rukia and Renji flew downwards from the sky. They landed on the rooftop of a building and proceeded to flash step across the Karakura skyline. In a few minutes they had arrived in Karakura Honchou. Ichigo directed his friends to a set of boutique apartments in one of Karakura Town's richest neighborhoods. The three Shinigami landed on the street below. Ichigo walked up to the front door of a three storey apartment building.

"Are you sure this is the right house?" asked Renji. Rukia gave him a withering look, as if to tell him silently to _shut your mouth up_. Ichigo pressed a button beside the door, which gave off a loud ring. A few moments later he heard footsteps coming downstairs and towards the doorway. Then all of a sudden the door opened, and the three Shinigami was staring at a surprised Orihime. She was wearing a long skirt and a blouse that revealed a considerable portion of her breast, and she once again had two pairs of hair clips that parted her fringe behind both ears.

"Kurosaki-kun, Kuchiki-san, Renji-san, what are you guys doing here?" asked Orihime.

"Hey Inoue, who are the people at the door?" came the voice of Ishida Uryu.

"It's Kurosaki-kun and Kuchiki-san!" shouted Orihime.

"What?" A few moments later an equally surprised Ishida appeared at the door. Ichigo was shocked at Ishida's appearance. His hair had become much grayer in the past six months, to the point that it was almost entirely silver except for patches of black hair.

"Man, what happened to you Ishida? You look like you've aged decades," said Ichigo.

"Lots of shit happened, would take too long to explain," said Ishida, shrugging his shoulders. "Anyway, why are you, Kuchiki and Abarai doing here in the real world? Are you three on a mission?" Ichigo shook his head and signed deeply.

"Actually, the three of us are on the run from Soul Society." Ishida and Orihime gasped at Ichigo's statement.

"What? How did this happen?" asked Ishida.

"It's also a long story. It's not safe to discuss about it here. Let's do it inside." Ishida agreed to Ichigo's suggestion. He and Orihime allowed the three Shinigami to walk through the doorway and directed through Ishida's spacious apartment. The five of them walked through a spacious lounge room area, walked up a wide flight of stairs, before arriving at an open spaced dining and living room area. Sitting on the couch watching television were Chad and Tatsuki. Chad had not changed much other than having grown a full beard, but Tatsuki had grown her hair out all the way to her waist. Both of them were as surprised to see Ichigo and his Shinigami friends as Ishida and Orihime were.

"Ichigo what are you doing here?" asked Tatsuki. "Did you come to celebrate the second anniversary of your death with us?"

"Huh, second anniversary of my death?" Ichigo was confused. Orihime quickly whispered something into his ear that cleared up things.

"Ah, I see, so that's why you guys are all here together. Didn't realize it's been two years since my death. Time sure has flown by quickly."

"Ichigo, Tatsuki might not know everything about you but I do. You wouldn't have come back to the real world without a good reason," said Chad. Ichigo nodded. Along with Ishida, Chad was the only other human friend who understood Ichigo's personality.

"We would all like to know the reason you guys have come here Kurosaki," said Ishida. "And why you're on the run from Soul Society."

"I will, but first I want to make sure that no one else is going to eavesdrop on our conversation," said Ichigo.

"Don't worry. Asano, Kojima and the other friends we had at High School don't come to visit us often anymore. Only me, Inoue, Sado and Arisawa know everything about Soul Society."

"Alright, I suppose I can begin then." Ichigo launched into a lengthy account of everything that had transpired in Soul Society since the escape of Aizen Sousuke from prison, leaving nothing of importance out. Rukia and Renji added in pieces of information that Ichigo wasn't aware of. By the time the three Shinigami had finished their briefing, the human friends were all left staggered by what they had heard. Ishida, Orihime and Chad quickly comprehended what they had heard, but Tatsuki was left feeling confused and bewildered.

"Huh, Royal Guards? The Central 46? The Royal Family? The Underground Prison? I've never heard of such things before. You've got to explain them to me Ichigo!" shouted Tatsuki.

"Um Tatsuki-chan I think you and I should have a private talk," smiled Orihime. She grabbed Tatsuki's hand and dragged her friend over to the couch. Ichigo, Rukia and Renji all breathed a sigh of relief.

"Phew, I guess I have to thank Inoue from saving me from giving an awkward explanation to Tatsuki," said Ichigo. Rukia and Renji laughed.

"Heh, exposition was never your strong suit Kurosaki," said Ishida smugly. The Quincy pushed up his glasses as he adopted a more serious expression. "Okay, let me get this straight. The three of you are on the run from these Royal Guards who are now in control of Soul Society. You have come here to start a search for Aizen in order to find Kurosaki's father, who is accompanying him on some sort of secret mission."

"Yep, that's the gist of it," said Ichigo. The reactions of his two friends were rather curious. Beads of sweat flowed down Chad's face as he struggled to take in the enormity of the task facing Ichigo. Ishida however, did not appear surprised at all.

"I knew something like this would happen one day," admitted Ishida. "I guess what you've said explains where my useless father has disappeared to."

"Huh your father disappeared?" Ichigo was surprised. "When did this happen?"

"Only a few days ago. I visited my father's place to ask him for a loan of capital for the hospital, only to find that he wasn't there. A neighbor I was familiar with told me that he left all of the sudden in the middle of the night. I also detected the residue spiritual pressures of two powerful Shinigami nearby. I had a hunch that it must have been your father and Urahara-san, since they're the only two Shinigami who would be familiar with my father. Looks like I was correct about your father, but I didn't think he'd team up with Aizen."

"So where does this leave us now Ichigo?" asked Chad. "Are you planning to pursue your father and Aizen?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna find and beat the crap out of him. Want to join us?" Ichigo waited for Ishida and Chad to make a decision. Of the two, Ishida was the one who found the offer more enticing. He too was seething with anger about his father going off on some business with Shinigami without informing him.

"Well, I have to say you've made me an offer I can't refuse Kurosaki," said Ishida.

"So you want to assist us?" asked Rukia. Ishida nodded.

"I did say once that I'd help you out in any situation, and I must say that I've been wanting to punch my dad in the face too."

"What about your hospital? Are you going to leave it unattended?" asked Ichigo.

"I'm no longer managing the hospital's day to day affairs anymore; as Chairman of the hospital my role is mainly to manage the hospital's finances. I've got several directors who can take care of the hospital for several weeks without my presence."

"If Uryu wants to come with you then I'll come too," said Chad. "I'm currently on temporary leave at the moment so I have nothing much to do."

Just then, Orihime and Tatsuki returned from their private 'chat'.

"What's happened Ishida-kun?" asked Orihime. Ishida briefed Orihime and Tatsuki about the things that he and Ichigo had discussed. Orihime's face immediately lit up.

"We're going on an adventure to find Kurosaki-kun's father? Can I come?"

"Of course you can Inoue. We're gonna need your healing abilities for this mission," said Rukia. Orihime jumped several times in excitement.

"I want to come too," said Tatsuki. "I've never been on any of your adventures before." Ichigo, Ishida and Chad both stared at Tatsuki with concern. Without saying a word the three men knew what they had to say to her.

"I'm sorry Tatsuki but you cannot come with us," said Ichigo bluntly.

"Huh, why not? If Orihime can go with you then why can't I?" asked Tatsuki angrily.

"Arisawa, I think you need to understand something," said Ishida. "Inoue, Sado and I have been involved in Kurosaki's dealings with the world of Shinigami and hollows from the beginning. We've been to other worlds and fought beings that could crush you with a glance." When Ishida said this Tatsuki instantly recalled the terrifying visage of the transformed Aizen who rampaged through the real Karakura Town. "All of us, including Inoue, have trained our physical and spiritual bodies to levels far exceeding any human being. You on the other hand, are only a peak human. If you were to come with us you'd only be a liability."

"Ishida-kun's right Tatsuki-chan," said Orihime with a smile. "Remember what happened when you and I tried to help Ishida-kun fight those dark Quincies? I can't guarantee I could save you if something similar happened again." Orihime's words made Tatsuki remember the awful moment when her insides had been ripped apart by that Quincy's light sword. If Orihime hadn't healed her she would almost certainly have died.

"Are you guys going to face those sorts of enemies?" asked Tatsuki.

"No, we're likely going to be facing beings far more powerful than those dark Quincies," said Rukia bluntly. Tatsuki's face became pale and bands of sweat rolled down her face. She only calmed down when Chad hugged his arms around her.

"Tatsuki, I know you want to be of some use to Ichigo, but it would better for all of us if you stayed here and kept watch over Karakura Town," said Chad. "When we are gone you're gonna have to be one responsible for protecting our friends from hollows."

"I, I understand," Tatsuki nodded. "I will be the defender of Karakura Town while you guys are away. Just promise me one thing: come back safely alive please. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I promise I'll come back Tatsuki." Tatsuki kissed Chad on the cheek before she left the room. Ichigo, Rukia and Renji judged it was time to leave.

"Alright I suppose we'd better get going," said Ichigo.

"Wait Kurosaki. Give me, Sado and Inoue time to prepare our belongings for the mission," said Ishida.

"Sure thing. We'll be waiting outside for you guys." Ichigo, Rukia and Renji headed downstairs and waited at the front door of the apartment. About ten minutes later Ishida, Chad and Orihime came downstairs to join them. Ichigo noticed that each of them had changed their clothing. Ishida was dressed in the standard Quincy battle uniform. Chad was wearing a black leather jacket with black leans and boots. Orihime had the most stunning outfit, for it resembled a modified version of the robes she had worn when she was held captive inside Las Noches, except the dress was cut much shorter and she wore a pair of matching black boots and tights.

"What's with that outfit Inoue?" asked Ichigo.

"This is my battle uniform," said Orihime with a smile. "I had Ishida-kun make this for me just in case we ever had to fight hollows. How do I look?"

"You look amazing Inoue," commented Rukia.

"I know you humans want to look cool whilst fighting, but don't forget that if we encounter other spiritual entities such as the Royal Guards you'll be spotted by ordinary humans," said Renji.

"Don't worry about that Abarai." Ishida pointed to a white bracelet around his left wrist. "This is a modified version of the collars those shadow Quincies wore. Inoue and Sado also have collars around their left wrists. These devices can instantly convert our kishi bodies into reishi, thus turning us into spirits like you Shinigami."

"So with those collars you'll be able to enter Soul Society without having your souls ripped out of your bodies?" asked Ichigo. Ishida nodded.

"Don't worry about us being spotted by normal humans Kurosaki. You Shinigami should be more worried about the reiatsu you give out. You'll be easily detected by anyone coming to find you from the Soul Society," said Ishida.

"We've got that problem covered," said Rukia. She took out two small boxes from out of her haori and gave one to Ichigo. "These boxes contain a portable gigai and special gikongan set. The gigais have all been modified by Urahara-san to completely block out spiritual pressures."

"Oh, I almost forgot about them. Let's try them on now," said Renji. The three Shinigami opened the boxes and took the small balloon like objects out. It took several tries for each of them to blow up the objects into life-sized gigais. Ichigo, Rukia and Renji proceeded to enter the gigais. Ichigo and Rukia instantly slipped into their gigais, but it took Renji several attempts to do.

"Wow, it feels kind of weird to be in a human body again," said Ichigo.

"I take it that the other pill in the box makes you exit the gigais," said Ishida.

"Yep. Not sure how that will work though," said Rukia. "I hope these gigais won't just fall down flat or be inhabited by weird mod souls."

"Okay I think we're ready to set out guys," said Ichigo. "Rukia, can you get a bead on Aizen's reiatsu?"

"I'm doing it now Ichigo." Rukia got out her special Danreishinki phone and stared scanning the vicinity for Aizen's spiritual pressure. When a localized search found nothing, she progressively expanded the radius of search until it covered most of the Japanese main island of Honshu.

"I've found him! He's signal is about four hundred kilometers to the south-west," said Rukia. She showed Ichigo and Ishida the screen image.

"That must mean he, Kurosaki's father and my father are in Kyoto," said Ishida.

"Should we head there using our spirit bodies?" asked Ichigo.

"That would be too time consuming. Let's head to the Karakura General Station. We can catch a Shinkansen train that can get us to Kyoto within two hours," said Ishida.

"Sounds good. Let's go then." And so, Ichigo and his nakama began their mission to search for Ichigo's father.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Soul Society, the Commander of the Royal Guards Hideyoshi held a meeting with four of his fellow Royal Guards inside the office of the captain of the 1st Division.

"At last Soul Society is under our complete control," said Hideyoshi. "The remaining captains of the Gotei 13 have acquiesced to the orders we issued, while the rank and file members have been cowered into submission. Ranjana has sent the Onimitsukidou on a search for Yamamoto and the other captains who fled or went into exile. There is only one problem we need to deal with: to locate and execute Kurosaki Ichigo and his nakama."

"Wait a minute, aren't you forgetting something Hideyoshi-dono? What about Shiba Isshin and the criminal he broke out of the Underground Prison…I think his name was Aizen," said Suzaku.

"It is highly likely that Kurosaki Ichigo is searching the real world for his father now. Once Kurosaki Ichigo is found it should be a simple matter to locate Shiba Isshin and the prisoner Aizen. I place my trust in you and your team Suzaku. You, Genbu, Seiyruu and Byakko, are the elite of the Royal Guard. I have no doubt that you will execute your mission flawlessly."

"Of course Hideyoshi-dono. We are the four heavenly kings, the Shitenno. There has never been a mission we haven't succeeded in. I promise you that we shall bring Kurosaki Ichigo and his father's heads back when we return." Suzaku bowed to his commander. He stood up, turned around and led his fellow Royal Guards out of the office, ready to begin their mission.

* * *

A few hours later, another Senkaimon appeared in the real world, not above Karakura Town, but in Naruki City, a district about ten kilometers to the west. To figures emerged from the gate. One was dressed in a dark green shirt and pants covered by a black shirt, wore a white green striped bucket hat on his head and had wooden geta sandals on his feet. The other figure was a stunning brown skinned woman with long flowing black hair tied with a ponytail who was dressed in a skin tight black suit that was covered over by a thick orange over-shirt. Both figures sensed the spiritual presences in the air.

"It appears that Kurosaki-san has made it to the real world and started searching his father," said Urahara.

"I wonder who is accompanying him though. I know that Kuchiki and Abarai accompanied Ichigo to the real world, but do you think Ichigo's human friends are helping him in his search?" asked Yoruichi.

"There is a high possibility they might have. If Ryuken-san has accompanied Isshin-san and Aizen on whatever mission they're following, then I suspect his son Ishida Uryu would want to search for his father too."

"What are we going to do now Kisuke? Should we follow after Isshin and Aizen and get to them before Ichigo and his friends do?" Urahara took a moment to consider his thoughts before answering Yoruichi's question.

"I guess we should. I don't know what will happen if Kurosaki-san meets his father again," said Urahara. "However, we should also keep an eye on Kurosaki-san's group. I have no doubt that a few of the Royal Guards will be dispatched to the human world to capture or execute Kurosaki-san."

"I would have thought the Commander of the Royal Guards would be more worried about Yamamoto Sotaicho and the other captains who have left Seireitei."

"Hideyoshi isn't a fool Yoruichi. He knows that sending his troops to hunt down Yamamoto-san would be a costly exercise that might result in not only the loss of one or two Royal Guards, but also cause him to lose the control over Seireitei that he has so recently attained. Kurosaki-san would be a far more tempting target. If the Royal Guards locate him, then can potentially also locate Isshin-san and Aizen, thus killing two birds with one stone." Yoruichi could find no disagreement with Urahara's logic. The two of them proceeded to fly down to the roof tops of Naruki City. They then started flash stepping across the skyline at rapid speed, with each step covering hundreds of metres of terrain in the space of several seconds.

"It's been a long while since I've been on a mission with you like this," said Yoruichi.

"Yeah, this almost feels like the good old days again," smiled Urahara. "When I was your subordinate in the 2nd Division."

"Oh really? I didn't know you enjoyed being my work slave," said Yoruichi in a mocking tone. The sandal-hat chuckled.

* * *

"Train departing Karakura Honchou Station," spoke the announcement in Japanese. The doors of the double-decker N700 series Shinkansen bullet train shut firmly. After the siren was sounded, the train began its departure from the platform. It rapidly built up speed until it was travelling at over two hundred kilometers an hour within the space of thirty seconds. Within a few minutes the train had travelled several kilometers away from Karakura Town.

On board one of the train's carriages were a group of six electric individuals who stood out from the average Japanese commuters due to their rather fancy clothing.

"Ichigo, why is everyone staring at us?" asked Rukia. The petite raven haired Shinigami had never ridden on a train before, nor had she been in a place with so many ordinary humans at once. She could feel dozens of curious eyes staring at her.

"We're the only ones in this carriage who aren't dressed in business clothes," whispered Ichigo into Rukia's ear. "Even if we were wearing normal clothes, the people around us would still stare at me and Renji due to our unusual hair styles."

"Hey you got a problem with my hair Ichigo?" asked Renji. The red-haired Shinigami thought Ichigo had insulted his trademark hair.

"No, no, it's fine," said Ichigo half heartedly.

"I so wish I could sit down," said Orihime. "It's uncomfortable standing like this."

"Bear with it Inoue. We'll arrive at Kyoto within two hours' time," said Ishida. "I've been on longer trips where I was forced to stand up the whole time."

"That must have been unpleasant for you," joked Chad. Ishida smiled. The six nakama tried their best to chat amongst themselves or think of happy feelings, anything to relieve them of the monotony of the trip. Soon though each of Ichigo's friends started thinking about what the upcoming mission meant for them. For Ichigo, it meant the possibility of finally seeing his father again. _Just you wait old man, I'm coming to find you_

* * *

At this very moment, Ichigo's father Isshin was wandering the outskirts of Kyoto with Aizen and Ishida Ryuken. The trio had been searching through the city for the past few days for clues of the location of the mysterious 'Lord Azrael', the being that was supposedly controlling Aizen. So far, they had not found anything other than evidence that Kyoto had been the main jureichi of the real world several centuries ago during the Sengoku Era of Japan. By now, Isshin was getting fed up Aizen's seemingly random movements.

"Hey, are you sure we're heading in the right direction?" asked Isshin. "We've been stuck in this city for several days now."

"Relax Kurosaki Isshin. The signals from my master are guiding me in the right direction," said Aizen in a nonchalant voice. The former traitor suddenly stopped and sensed the reishi particles in the air. "Ah, I think I have a bead on my master's general location. He is about two hundred and fifty kilometers to the east."

"What you mean we travelled two hundred kilometers for nothing?" asked Ryuken in outrage. "I can't move across terrain as fast as you Shinigami can!" Isshin was also furious at Aizen's apparent incompetence.

"Great you could have saved us a lot of effort if you had figured that out sooner," said Isshin. Aizen did nothing but smile at Isshin smugly. Isshin cursed the fact that he had to rely on Aizen for guidance.

* * *

An hour later, another Senkaimon appeared above Karakura Town. This time, four figures dressed in ornate Shihakushos and long flowing capes emerged from the gate and surveyed the town. The leader, a man with fiery red hair and a short cropped beard, walked forward several steps and scanned the vicinity for spiritual pressures.

"Blast! I've lost track of them!" swore Suzaku, the leader of the Shitenno. He turned to his fellow Shitenno, a man with spiky blue hair and a goatee, a beautiful woman with long white hair, and a large bald man with a tortoise shell on his back.

"Seiryuu, Byakko, Genbu, I want you to scan the vicinity for any trace of Kurosaki Ichigo's spiritual pressure," said Suzaku.

"What is the matter Suzaku? Is your reiatsu detection skill not up to scratch?" asked the woman called Byakko.

"Shut it!" swore Suzaku. The fiery red haired hated being mocked by anymore, including his closest friends.

"I have found it Suzaku-san. A faint cluster of spiritual pressures down there," said the large bald man called Genbu. He pointed to the area of the town next to what appeared to be a train line. "Three of them appear to be the reiatsu of Shinigami, while several others feel like the reiatsu of humans."

"Can you tell where the signatures lead to next?" asked Suzaku.

"Not for the reiatsu of the Shinigami; they end here. But I can feel the traces of the humans' reiatsu trailing off in a westerly direction." Suzaku was pleased at Genbu's information.

"So, it looks like Kurosaki Ichigo found some human pals and headed west," grinned Suzaku. "Who cares if we can't sense his reiatsu. As long as we can follow the signatures of the humans we should be able to find him." Suzaku and the three other Shitenno flared their reiatsu, surrounding themselves in brightly coloured auras.

"We are the Shitenno, the Four Heavenly Kings! We will complete our mission without fail!" shouted Suzaku. "We'll find Kurosaki Ichigo and execute him!"

At this moment, the sky above Karakura Town witnessed an amazing spectacle as a giant flaming phoenix, a massive blue dragon, an oversized white tiger, and a gargantuan tortoise all appeared out of nowhere. The four creatures let out a roar, before they suddenly vanished into the distance.

Elsewhere, in a large cavern underneath a mountain, an old decrepit man was monitoring the movements of the various spiritual entities throughout Japan with pleasure.

"Everything is proceeding as I have planned," the old man grinned.

* * *

Comments

*The Shitenno(四天王): This group is named after the Four Heavenly Kings of Buddhist mythology. The nature of the group however, is based on the group of the same name in Yu Yu Hakusho. The names of the four Royal Guards who make up the Shitenno, Suzaku, Byakko, Seiryuu and Genbu are also based on the four corresponding characters from YYH, who were themselves named after the Japanese translations of the Four symbols of the Chinese Constellations.

*Karakura Honchou, Karakura General Station and Naruki City: These are all locations mentioned by Kubo in the manga. There is actually a map of Karakura Town in the first databook which listed all of the important locations.

*N700 Shinkansen Bullet train: I did some research of Japan's rail network and I discovered that this model of the famous Japanese Shinkansens runs on the Tokaido Line which links Tokyo with Kyoto.


	47. Chapter 47: Confrontation in Kyoto

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

*Thanks for the reviews and comments for the previous chapter. I'll try to respond to the criticism and feedback I receive.

* * *

**Chapter 47 Confrontation in Kyoto**

The N700 Shinkansen bullet train arrived at Kyoto Station, one of the largest transportation hubs in all of Japan, and the end nexus of the Tokaido Shinkansen line from Tokyo. As Ichigo and his friends disembarked from the train, all of them except for Ishida marvelled at the sheer size of the station's central terminal. The platform they were on alone was larger than Karakura Town's railway station.

"Wow, this place is huge," said Rukia. Her eyes were sparkling with fascination. "I've never seen so many humans in one place." Indeed, everywhere they looked they could see hordes of commuters getting on and off trains and walking from platform to platform. Most of the commuters paid Ichigo's motley group no attention as they were too busy going about their daily affairs.

"Man these humans don't even look at us. It's as if we're invisible," said Renji.

"Heh, you and Kuchiki-san still have a lot to learn about the human world," said Ishida with a grin on his face. "It's not just ordinary commuters who arrive at this station every day. There are also tens of thousands of tourists from across Japan or even overseas who arrive here daily. We won't stand out much in the clothes we're wearing."

"We don't have all day to marvel at the station's size. Let's get something to eat, get our bearings, and begin the search for Aizen and my dad," said Ichigo. He and his friends went up an escalator from the platform and arrived at the station's main concourse. Rukia and Renji again marveled at the enormous open space area, which stretched on for hundreds of meters and was enclosed by a roof fifteen stories high. After Ishida paid for their train fares, the group headed down to the station's shopping mall. They ate ramen at a Japanese noodle shop, before Ichigo led them to the station's main entrance.

"Rukia, I want you to do a scan of the vicinity for any traces of Aizen's spiritual pressure," said Ichigo. "We'll follow his reiatsu trail." Rukia got out her Danreishinki and initiated a two kilometer radius scan centered on the station.

"Ichigo, I'm picking up traces of spiritual nearby. There's a trail of dots that heads eastwards," said Rukia. She showed Ichigo and Ishida an expanded map that not only showed the locations of the flashing dots but also the actual streets, landmarks and areas, each marked with their proper Japanese names.

"Nice, I didn't think the soul pagers you Shinigami have could show actual maps of real world cities," said Ishida.

"Can you expand the radius of the search Rukia? I want to see how far the reiatsu trail goes," said Ichigo. Rukia promptly pressed a button that expanded the search radius out to ten kilometers. The flashing dots on the screen extended outwards for a bit before they suddenly terminated at a place about three kilometers to the northeast of their current location. Rukia moved the screen's centre cursor to hover over the spot where the dots ended and zoomed in several times. The map eventually showed a cluster of dots surrounding what appeared to be a large temple of some sorts. Ishida's eyes lit up when he saw the temple's name.

"The Kiyomizu-dera, I've heard about this temple," said Ishida. "They say that the waterfall inside this temple contains the Waters of Enlightenment."

"The Waters of Enlightenment? You mean the sacred waters of the King's Realm?" gasped Renji. "How could they exist in the human world?"

"Who knows? It might just be a myth. In any case, I have no doubt that a powerful spiritual presence surrounds this temple."

"If the flashing dots all lead to this place, then perhaps Aizen and my father are there right now. If not we'll probably still find out what my dad's searching for," said Ichigo.

"How should we get there? Should we catch a taxi or walk there?" asked Chad.

"We'll board a bus. I'm pretty sure there is a bus service that goes directly to that temple from here," said Ishida. The Quincy led his friends to the nearby bus terminus where he arranged for all six of them to purchase one-day tickets to Kiyomizu-dera. They then boarded the bus bound for the temple.

* * *

At the same moment, high in the skies above Japan some fifty kilometers away, four powerful figures flew through the air rapid speed. They were the four Shitenno, the elite of the Royal Guard. Such was their power that each of the guards left behind a coloured trail of spirit energy as they flew.

"I am picking up several spiritual pressures in the distance," said the Royal Guard called Genbu.

"Is it Kurosaki Ichigo?" asked the leader of the Shitenno Suzaku.

"I am not sure. The spiritual pressures are too faint and jumbled to tell who they belong too."

"It doesn't matter how faint they are. If we can feel them then it must mean they belong to Shinigami or awakened humans. That must mean Kurosaki Ichigo and his comrades are close!" Suzaku licked his lips in excitement. He and his fellow Royal Guards accelerated their speed even further until they were flying at almost the speed of sound.

* * *

The bus arrived at the car park outside Kiyomizu-dera temple. Ichigo and his nakama got off and immediately headed in the direction of the main temple. They climbed up a small hill along a path called the 'Ninnen-zaka and Sannen-Zaka' walk. About three quarters of the way up the hill they passed by a series of shops selling merchandise. Past the hill lay the temple's main gate, called the 'Gate of the Deva Kings'. As they walked past the gate, Orihime noticed a pair of stone lions standing guard beside the gate.

"Aww those lions are so cute," squealed Orihime.

"We didn't come here for sight-seeing Inoue-san," said Ishida.

"It wouldn't hurt to look around." The group found a map that showed all of the buildings in the temple complex.

"There are far too many buildings here for us to search through," said Rukia. "I'm picking up spiritual pressures coming from each building."

"How about we focus on the strongest spiritual pressure in the vicinity?" asked Ichigo.

"Strongest spiritual pressure…that would be this spot right here." Rukia pointed to the largest structure on the map, labeled 'Hondo'.

"That must be the temple's main hall," said Ishida.

"Let's head there then." Ichigo led his friends through the temple grounds until they reached the main hall, a massive pavilion structure some three stories high. As they entered the hall, all of them began to feel multiple spiritual presences emanating from the statues and paintings nearby.

"The Danreishinki is giving off numerous beeps," said Rukia.

"That must mean we're close right?" asked Ichigo. Using her soul pagers tracker, Rukia directed Ichigo and the others to a large stage immediately outside the main hall.

"Whoa, that's one hell of a drop," commented Orihime when she got to the edge of the stage and looked down. The entire stage was suspended about twelve metres above the ground below, supported by a wooden scaffold.

"It appears the spiritual signatures end here," said Rukia.

"Are you sure? I don't feel Aizen or my dad's reiatsu," said Ichigo.

"Hold on, I'm picking up new signals, about several hundred metres to the north of us."

"Oh man, don't tell me we came all the way here for nothing," moaned Renji.

"It doesn't matter. As long as we still have a bead on Aizen's spiritual pressure we can track them down," said Ichigo. Just as he finished speaking, Ichigo felt an immense spiritual pressure descend upon him. The others all felt it too. Within seconds they were all struggling to stand up from the sheer weight of the enormous reiatsu that suddenly descended upon them.

"I've never felt spiritual pressure like this before," said Chad.

"Where is it coming from?" asked Ishida.

A few seconds later a huge ball of fire suddenly shot from the skies and smashed into the pavilion. The impact caused an explosion that tore a fifteen metre wide hole through the structure and shattered the scaffold that was supporting the stage. This caused the entire stage to collapse and fall to the ground below. As a large billowing column of fire rose into the sky, hundreds of ordinary people ran for their lives. Many of them had been seriously burnt by fire or hit by loose debris. There were dozens of bodies inside the hall and at the bottom of the cliff where the stage had fallen. Almost every single person who had been standing on the stage when it collapsed was either dead or critically injured.

Luckily for Ichigo and his nakama, they managed to somehow survive the fall unscathed. A moment before they fell, Orihime had activated the band around her left hand and then summoned a four pronged shield on the ground below them. The shield cushioned their impact with the ground.

"Thanks a lot of Inoue. Your quick thinking just saved us all," said Ishida.

"It's not a problem Ishida-kun. I was just doing my part to help," said Orihime.

"Who the fuck attacked us?" asked Ichigo. He could still feel an overwhelming spiritual pressure all around him.

"Ichigo…up there," Rukia pointed with her hand to the sky above the smoking ruins of the temple. Outlined against the smoke were four figures dressed in ornate Shihakusho, each with a different colour, and who wore long trailing capes on their back.

"Royal Guards!" exclaimed Renji in horror. "Four of them!" One of the guards, a man with fiery red hair, walked forward.

"We have found you Kurosaki Ichigo," the man grinned. Ichigo took a good luck at him and realized he had seen him before.

"You! You're the Royal Guard who taunted me when I was locked up!" shouted Ichigo.

"Aha, so you recognise me! I might as well introduce myself formally before I kill you. I am Yamamoto Suzaku. Here are my fellow Royal Guards, Seiryuu, Byakko and Genbu." The man called Suzaku introduced his comrades from left to right. "Together we are the Shitenno the Four Heavenly Kings. We have been ordered by Hideyoshi dono to execute you Kurosaki Ichigo. And your nakama too!"

"What are we going to do Kurosaki? We don't stand a chance against beings of such power!" shouted Ishida.

"What choice do we have? There's no way we can outrun them," said Ichigo. "We'll have to distract them somehow and find a way to escape. For now, we have to fight!"

Ichigo turned to Rukia and Renji, who nodded in agreement. The three Shinigami took out their gikongans and ate them. They instantly exited their gigais. A second later the gikongans popped out of their gigais and the gigais themselves shrunk back to their original forms.

"Whoa, I didn't know the gigais could do that," said Renji. "That's kind of nifty."

"There is not time to marvel at them Renji," said Rukia. She placed both the gigai and the gikongan back into the small box they originally came in. Ichigo and Renji did the same.

"If you guys are fighting then I suppose Sado and I should also fight," said Ishida. The Quincy stood up and pressed the bracelet around his left wrist. In an instant his material body was converted into a spiritual body. Chad followed Ishida's example by pressing his bracelet, turning himself into a spirit as well. The four Royal Guards were amused by the efforts of Ichigo and his friends.

"Hey Suzaku-san, they aren't seriously intending to fight us are they?" asked Genbu.

"If they are, it will only make killing them more interesting!" laughed Suzaku.

"I agree. We should give them a chance to prove their strength to us," said Seiryuu.

"Pfft, you boys are obsessed with fighting. I'd prefer to finish them off as quickly as possible," said Byakko. The squabbling amongst the Shitenno was noticed by Ichigo.

"Rukia, Renji, let's fight at full power. These bastards still underestimate us. If we can give them a scare they'll be caught off guard enough for us to escape," said Ichigo.

"Good idea. I was thinking of doing the same thing," nodded Renji.

"I'm right with you Ichigo," said Rukia. The three Shinigami pulled out their Zanpakutos from their scabbards. Ichigo held his with both hands in front of his body, Rukia held hers in an upright position, while Renji held his upside down.

"BANKAI!" the three of them shouted in unison. For a brief instant their bodies were obscured by clouds of dust and raw spiritual energy. During that time each of them underwent a transformation. Renji was covered in a thick red Baboon hide, and had a baboon like skull fit over his head, a long bone tail ending in a large snake head growing from his back, and two gauntlets ending in sharp claws fit over his arms. Rukia briefly went naked as her Shihakusho disappeared, to be replaced by a white kimono with white slippers on her feet and a yellow ribbon around her waist. Her hair grew down to her shoulders. Finally, Ichigo's upper Shihakusho was replaced by a black coat that fitted over his torso and draped down to his ankles. A hood covered his head, which changed appearance as his normal orange hair turned dark black in colour. Finally a four foot long black nodachi with a large manji cross guard materialized in his hand. A long chain trailing from the pommel of the nodachi wrapped around Ichigo's right arm.

When the clouds of dust finally dissipated, the three Shinigami emerged in their Bankai states. Their changed appearances caused the Shitenno to hesitate.

"They've all mastered their Bankais?" asked Suzaku in disbelief.

"Their reiatsu has increased dramatically," commented Genbu. As the Royal Guards observed the three Shinigami below, Ishida and Chad had taken advantage of Ichigo, Rukia and Renji's transformations by sneaking behind the Shitenno. The Quincy jumped into the air behind the Royal Guard with the spiky blue air, pointing a massive solid blue bow shaped like a giant cross at his target.

"Eat this! _Licht Flugkorper_!" shouted Ishida. He concentrated reishi in his bow and fired over two dozen _Seele Schneider_-like arrows at Seiyruu. To Ishida's shock, the arrows shot through the Royal Guard's body and flew into the distance, before they each detonated in huge explosions that lit up the sky above Kyoto city.

"What the hell? My arrows passed through him!" shouted Ishida in dismay. It took him a second to notice that the body of the Royal Guard he had shot was actually a fake body made out of ice.

"What you just shot was my ice clone," said Seiyruu smugly. The spiky blue haired Royal Guard sent Ishida flying towards the ground with a swipe of his right hand. The Quincy managed to stop himself about ten metres from the ground and proceeded to hover in the air. He looked up and saw that Chad had gotten behind the woman with the long white hair. He had summoned both of his armored arms and was readying a punch with his left arm of the devil.

"_La Muerte_," said Chad. He punched at the woman called Byakko with a powered energy punch in the shape of frightening skull. To Chad's utter astonishment, the woman stopped his punch with her right hand alone.

"Didn't your mother tell you not to hit a woman?" asked Byakko condescendingly. All of a sudden Chad felt his reiryoku drop dramatically.

"My spirit energy is…getting drained…" stuttered Chad. Within moments he lost consciousness as nearly all of his spirit energy had been sucked out of him.

"Your reiatsu tastes really nice boy, too bad I couldn't drain more of it." Byakko gave Chad a kick in his stomach that sent him flying to the ground below.

"SADO-KUN!" cried Orihime in dismay. Ishida and Ichigo were also stunned that Chad had been defeated so quickly. Fortunately for them, Rukia reacted quickly. She sent out a stream of snow and ice from her hands that wrapped around Chad's body before solidifying. She then gently lowered Chad to the ground.

"Sado is alright Inoue," said Rukia with a smile.

"Thank goodness."

"Rukia, do you know a Kido spell that can blind these guys long enough for us to escape?" asked Ichigo.

"As a matter of fact I do. But it's a powerful Hado in the 90s. It will take me some time to cast the chant for it," said Rukia.

"It doesn't matter. Renji and I will buy you the time you need to cast it. Come on Renji let's attack them head on!" Ichigo jumped into the air.

"Hey don't order me around!" protested Renji. The red-haired lieutenant followed after Ichigo. When the two of them were ten metres above the ground they started charging their reiryoku. Ichigo poured a huge amount of energy into his blade until it was covered by a black shroud. Renji summoned a red energy ball a metre wide with his claws.

"_Getsuga Tensho_!" yelled Ichigo as he fired a massive crescent shaped black energy blast from his blade.

"_Hikotsu Taiho_!" yelled Renji as he used both of his hands to fire the energy ball upwards. The two attacks flew at the Royal Guards with rapid speed.

Before they could hit the Royal Guards, the fat Royal Guard called Genbu yelled out "Bakudo 81, _Danku_!" can cast an invisible white barrier in front of his comrades. The two energy attacks hit the barrier and stopped for a moment. But then the sheer power behind the blasts caused the barrier to crack.

"Impossible, their attack power is greater than even a level 80 Hado?" asked Genbu is dismay. The Kido barrier broke and the two energy attacks momentarily overwhelmed all of the Royal Guards.

"We did it Ichigo!" exclaimed Renji. "We defeated those Royal Guards!" His joy was short lived when the four Royal Guards emerged from the smoke created by their attacks with only a few minor burns.

"Crap we barely hurt them at all," swore Ichigo. But their attacks had the unintended side effect of making Suzaku furious. The fiery red head was shocked that a mere lieutenant had managed to scar his face.

"My face, my beautiful pristine face untouched by aging…how dare you ruin it!" screamed Suzaku. "YOU WILL DIE KUROSAKI ICHIGO! TAKE THIS!" He set alight his right hand, which he used to draw a red magic circle in the air.

"_Phoenix Enko Suto_!" A massive blast of red hot fire shaped like a firebird shot out from the magic circle. Ichigo instinctively recognised it as the same attack that had destroyed the temple. _I've got to stop it from hitting my friends below_, he thought. Without hesitation he jumped in front of the flames and pointed his Bankai sword at it. A dense black shield of spirit energy formed from the four prongs of the manji guard, expanding outwards to cover the tip of Ichigo's sword and the whole of his body.

"Are you insane Ichigo? That attack has enough power to destroy us all!" screamed Renji. He looked on in horror as the flames smashed into the energy shield. To the surprise of Renji as well as Suzaku of the Shitenno, Ichigo was not consumed not by the flames. The energy shield he had summoned held them at bay.

"I'm gonna send these flames back at you, you red haired bastard," grinned Ichigo. "_Mangetsu Gaieshi_!" All of a sudden the black flames were repelled by the shield and sent flying back towards Suzaku.

"WHAT THE FUCK?" screamed Suzaku in disbelief. Before he or the other Shitenno could react, they were hit by the flames that Suzaku himself had created.

"Are you finished yet Rukia? This is the perfect time to get them!" exclaimed Ichigo.

"I'm finished. Close your eyes everyone!" shouted Rukia. The raven-haired Shinigami jumped into the air until she was level with the Royal Guards. She then placed both her hands around her forehead.

"Hado 92, _Taiyo Furea_!" shouted Rukia. In an instant the entire sky above the temple was bathed in an incandescent white light many times brighter than even the sun. The Royal Guards and all of the humans below were instantly blinded by the dazzling light. Only Ichigo, Renji, Ishida and Orihime, who had closed their eyes before Rukia cast the Hado, were unaffected. Rukia finished casting the spell and quickly descended to the ground below.

"That light should blind them for several minutes. We should take this opportunity to escape," said Rukia. Renji hauled Chad onto his back, while Ichigo did the same with Orihime, who had injured her ankles when she protected everyone from the Royal Guard's initial strike.

"Alright we're going to flash step out of here as fast as we can. Can you keep up with us Ishida?" asked Ichigo.

"Who do you think you're talking to? Of course I can," said Ishida in an arrogant voice. The Quincy summoned a hover board made out of pure reishi beneath his feet. Within moments, the three Shinigami and the Quincy were gone from the vicinity of the now destroyed Kiyomizu-dera Temple.

"Fuck I can't see!" swore Suzaku. "I'll kill the bitch who did that to us!"

"_Taiyo Furea_, I can't believe a lieutenant could cast a Hado with so much power," said Genbu.

"This is not the time to marvel at the enemy's skills Genbu," said Seiryuu.

"See, this is what happens when you boys toy with your enemies," commented Byakko. "You let them miraculously escape from our grasp." The bright light died down and the four Royal Guards found their eye sight gradually restored. By the time they could all see again however, the Shinigami and humans they were hunting had already disappeared.

"Fuck I can't believe we lost them!" swore Suzaku.

"Don't be so hasty to assume that Suzaku-san. I can detect a group of spiritual pressures about ten kilometers away, heading in a north-easterly direction," said Genbu.

"Then what are we waiting for? After them now!" Suzaku flew towards the northeast. The three other Royal Guards followed him. They were all determined to catch Kurosaki Ichigo and his friends as quickly as possible.

* * *

At the same moment, back in Karakura Town, Arisawa Tatsuki woke up from a mid-afternoon nap she had, after she had spent the morning cleaning up Ishida's apartment. It was already five in the afternoon, and Tatsuki was feeling hungry. She walked downstairs to the ground floor and headed to the main kitchen to search for some food. She grabbed a half-eaten bento and some sushi rolls before heading upstairs to the living room. She sat on the couch and turned on the television. As soon as the TV was on Tatsuki saw a video of a helicopter flying above what appeared to be a burning temple. Below the video on the screen was a large white caption with the words "SHOCKING INCIDENT IN KYOTO" written in huge Kanji.

"Eh, what is this about?" said Tatsuki. She turned up the volume to better hear what was being said by the news reporters.

"_…As you can see by the footage, the world famous Kiyomizu-Dera_,_ a Buddhist temple with a legacy dating back to the Heian era, has been destroyed by a massive explosion just a few minutes ago. At this stage we are unsure as to what caused the explosion, but the authorities believe it may be a large bomb or a missile fired from the sky. If that is the case, then we have just witnessed the greatest attack on Japanese soil since the Second World War. Already the casualties from the explosion are staggering. At least one hundred and fifty people are dead and thousands more critically injured. The few witnesses who were at the scene reported seeing several more large explosions occurring after the first explosions, followed by this blinding light that made them unable to see for several minutes.."_

As Tatsuki watched the shocking news broadcast, a sense of dread and horror built up in her heart. She knew Kiyomizu-dera was a temple near central Kyoto, and she also remembered Chad phoning her several hours ago telling her that he and the rest of her friends had arrived at Kyoto Station. _Oh no, what if Ichigo, Sado and the others were caught up in that explosion?_ She prayed to whatever god was listening to her that her nakama were alright.

* * *

"Ichigo I'm picking up a huge reiatsu not far from us," said Rukia.

"Is it Aizen's spiritual pressure?" asked Ichigo.

"It might be." Rukia frantically pushed buttons on her Danreishinki whilst flash stepping at the same time. The group had managed to travel over ten kilometres away from the destroyed Kiyomizu-dera within the space of several minutes, and were heading in a northeasterly direction. They were now travelling along the shores of Japan's largest lake, Lake Biwa. All of them had reverted back to their normal forms in order to conserve their energy.

"Hey Kurosaki, we should slow down and suppress our spiritual pressures," said Ishida. "We've gotten far enough away from those Royal Guards for them not to find us if we mask our presence."

"I guess that would be a good idea," said Ichigo. He was about to order them all to stop flash stepping and resort to normal running when he suddenly felt a familiar spiritual pressure several kilometres to the northwest. The reiatsu he felt caused him to stop all of a sudden. He dropped Orihime from his shoulders.

"Hey, what are you doing Ichigo?" asked Renji.

"This reiatsu…it's my old man!" exclaimed Ichigo. "I feel him. He's somewhere on the other side of this lake!" Before his nakama would react, Ichigo suddenly sped across the giant lake, using only the minimal amount of flash steps to keep himself hovering above the lake's surface.

"Wait Ichigo!" yelled Rukia. She hastily put away her soul pager and ran after him.

"That idiot, he's gonna send a flashing beacon to the guys who are hunting us!" swore Ishida. He and Renji did their best to go after Ichigo. The blonde haired Shinigami ignored his friends' cries. His mind was entirely focused on tracking down the spiritual pressure that belonged to his father.

Thoughts and visions flashed through Ichigo's head as he ran. Memories of the past, both recent and not so recent, came flooding back to him.

"_Live well, age well, and go bald well, and die after me. And if you can, die smiling…_" Ichigo remembered the words his father said to him when they at his mother's gravestone, in the aftermath of the hollow Grand Fisher's second attack.

"_I have known about you since the day you were born_…" Ichigo remembered the horrifying words Aizen said to him when he found out the nefarious Shinigami had basically planned out his entire life.

"_If you haven't said something all this time, then you probably had a reason. That's your problem_." Ichigo remembered the words he had said when he found out his father was a Shinigami.

"_Isshin had promised me to never reveal his secrets to you, other than the fact that he was a Shinigami._" Ichigo remembered the words Urahara had told him shortly after he rescued his sisters and Kukaku.

"_Heh, heh, haven't you heard? Your father massacred the Royal Family_." The final words Ichigo remembered was the taunt the Royal Guard Suzaku had given him when he was being locked up. _Dad…I don't why you've kept all of your secrets hidden from me, but I'm going to wring them out of you._ As Ichigo touched down on a small island in the middle of Lake Biwa, he spotted three figures standing on the shores of the lake about five hundred metres away. Two of them were instantly familiar to him. One was the great traitor Aizen Sousuke, dressed in a plain white robe with a white hakama. The other was his father, wearing the same Shihakusho he had worn during the battle for Fake Karakura Town. Ichigo did not recognise the third figure, but he figured he must have been Ishida's father.

For several seconds, Ichigo stared at this father in silence. He didn't know what to say. But when he realized his father was about to leave, Ichigo knew he had to do something. Without thinking he yelled at the top of his voice "OTOO-SAN!" Ichigo's voice was so loud that it caused ripples on the lake itself and echoed for ages after his initial shout. It was enough to make his father stop in his tracks. Isshin froze, and looked back at the lake. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw his son.

"Ichigo…" said Isshin.

"I've finally found you, old man!"

* * *

Comments

*Kyoto Station: The main transportation hub for Kyoto and the second largest commuter hub in all of Japan. Kyoto Station is located in Shimogyo-Ku, one of the eleven wards of Kyoto. The ward is also home to the famous Kyoto Tower.

*Kiyomizu-dera(清水寺): Known as "Pure Water Temple" in English, this temple is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was also nominated to be one of the New Wonders of the World in 2007. The temple's main attraction is the Ottawa Waterfall, which is said to contain water that grants wish-making powers. One of the reasons I chose this temple as a location is that it was featured in Ken Akamatsu's _Love Hina_ and _Negima_ series. I really liked the scenic views of the temple depicted in those two mangas and thought it would be a good place for the chapter's main battle.

*Licht Flugkorper: Meaning "Light or Shining Missile" in German. It follows on from Ishida's Licht Regen in its naming and appearance.

*Mangetsu Gaieshi: Means "Full Moon Reflection" in Japanese. It's a natural extension to Ichigo's Zanpakuto abilities; instead of charging his energy into an offensive form he uses it to project himself from enemy attacks.

*Taiyo Furea(太陽フレア): Meaning "Solar Flare" in Japanese. This Kido is inspired by the Taiyoken move in DBZ.


	48. Chapter 48: Be My Family or Not

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

*Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter! The feedback I've received has been really helpful! The next few chapters will feature a lot of amazing revelations!

* * *

**Chapter 48 Be My Family or Not**

"I've found you at last," said Ichigo. He was panting heavily; it had taken almost all of his spiritual energy to fly across the lake to catch up to his father's signal. Now father and son were staring at each other across a span of water less than five metres wide. A heavy gale blew across the lake, causing the waters to churn. For a long while neither side spoke; the two Kurosakis stared at each other in silence. Isshin was the first to break the silence.

"You've regained your powers Ichigo?" asked Isshin.

"Got them back over a year ago," said Ichigo. "Are you surprised about that?" Isshin looked at Aizen and Ryuken, both of whom were amused but not surprised at Ichigo's statement.

"Were you both aware that my son became a Shinigami again?"

"Of course," said Ryuken. He pushed up his glasses with his arms to hide his smirk.

"My Zanpakuto Kyoka Suigetsu was partially responsible for your son regaining his spiritual powers," said Aizen smugly. Isshin was annoyed at having been kept in the dark for so long. He turned to look at his son again.

"I don't know how you got your powers back Ichigo, but in all respects you should not be here," said Isshin. "You should still be back at home looking after Karin and Yuzu."

"How dare you say that to my face Otoo-san!" shouted Ichigo. "You have not right to care about their wellbeing after you abandoned them like that! Hell I bet you don't even know what happened to them!"

"It is true that I have not kept touch on how they've been," admitted Isshin. "How are they doing now? Are they alright?"

"They're dead old man. Karin, Yuzu and I were all killed by a hollow." Isshin was thunderstruck by Ichigo's statement. Without knowing it his knees started to buckle as he was emotionally overcome by the news he just heard.

"No…Karin, Yuzu," said Isshin in disbelief. Tears started flowing down the side of his face.

"It's your fault that they dead old man!" exclaimed Ichigo. "You left me to look after them when you knew I couldn't even sense spirits. How could you expect me to protect Karin and Yuzu from hollows I couldn't even see?" Ichigo watched as his father recovered from his sudden emotional distress.

"I am sorry Ichigo. I am entirely responsible for the death of you and your sisters," said Isshin with a sigh. "Still, as a father I would like to know where my daughters are."

"They were safe in Seireitei when I last saw them. But things in Soul Society may have changed since left."

"Huh, what do you mean Ichigo?" asked Isshin.

At this moment Rukia, Renji, Ishida, Chad and Orihime all landed beside Ichigo. Ryuken was shocked to see his son, while Aizen grinned at them smugly.

"Why are you following Kurosaki Ichigo, Uryu?" asked Ryuken.

"Isn't it obvious? In order to find you," answered Ishida. "I want to know why you've joined forces with Aizen."

"We have the same question for you, Kurosaki Isshin-san. We want to know why you helped to break Aizen out of the underground prison," said Rukia. Isshin hesitated to respond. He pondered in his mind whether or not he should tell the truth. He eventually decided against it.

"I'm afraid I cannot tell you why I freed Aizen from his cell," said Isshin. "I can only say that I need Aizen for an important mission."

"Was that mission really important enough to send Soul Society into an upheaval? Do you realize what happened _after_ you and Aizen fled to the real world old man? All of the fucking Royal Guard showed up!" exclaimed Ichigo in anger.

"What, the Royal Guard appeared in Soul Society?" asked Isshin with a shocked face. "Why would they leave the King's Realm at this moment?"

"Don't ask me old man. You know the Royal Guard better than I do. After all, you were once a Royal Guard yourself!" Isshin was astounded that Ichigo knew about his secret.

"Who, who told you I was a Royal Guard Ichigo? Was it Kisuke who told you?" Isshin was shocked that his longtime friend Urahara could have broken an oath he had made to him.

"Yeah, he couldn't hold back the truth any longer. But that's not all I found out about you father. Tell me, was it really you who massacred the royal family?" Ichigo's question caused everyone except for Rukia and Renji to gasp. Ishida, Chad and Orihime had not been told about this before they accompanied Ichigo, and Isshin had kept it a secret from Aizen and Ryuken. Isshin now had a grim expression on his face.

"So, you know about _that_ incident," said Isshin in a solemn tone. Everyone, including Aizen and Ryuken, got the impression that Isshin was admitting his guilt. His response almost broke Ichigo's heart.

"Why, why didn't you tell me the truth old man?" asked Ichigo. "If you had told me everything about yourself to me earlier none of the shit we've faced in recent days would have happened. After I found out you were a Shinigami I waited patiently for you to tell me about yourself. But you never did! You kept all of your secrets to yourself. Why couldn't you trust your only son?" At this moment, Ichigo's emotions were vividly expressed on his face. His nakama had never seen him so emotional before. It was as if his heart was grappling with a mixture of betrayal and outrage.

"Well, your son has certainly made a good point Shiba Isshin," Aizen remarked smugly. "You have hidden more about yourself in a network of secrets and lies than I ever did."

"Shut up Aizen," said Isshin. The former Royal Guard was also grappling with a series of emotions in his head. He desperately wanted to confess everything to Ichigo, but he also knew that doing so would jeopardize the success of his mission. After much soul searching, he eventually came up with a response.

"I am deeply sorry Ichigo for not telling you about myself. I had planned on sitting down with you after the war and discussing my past history with you, but I never really found the right opportunity to do so. I suppose you already know everything I had planned on telling you about me. There is nothing more for me to say about myself. I have a mission of utmost secrecy and importance to perform. You and your nakama should return to Soul Society and protect it."

"Are you kidding old man? We're wanted criminals in Soul Society!" exclaimed Ichigo. "We can't go back unless we bring you and Aizen back with us."

"Sorry to disappoint you Kurosaki Ichigo, but I have no desire to return to that little cell I was confined in," said Aizen.

"And I have no wish to answer to the Gotei 13 or the Royal Guard," said Isshin. "You are old enough to handle your problems Ichigo. You only have yourself to blame for your current situation."

Ichigo was furious with his father's last comment. Anger and rage filled his heart. Without a moment's thought he suddenly unsheathed his Zanpakuto, released it into its Shikai form without saying the chant and held it above his head with both hands.

"I HATE YOU OLD MAN!" shouted Ichigo. He slashed downwards with his sword, firing a huge _Getsuga Tensho_ as he did so. The blue crescent shaped energy blast flew across the lake at rapid speed. Just as it was about to hit Isshin, Aizen and Ryuken it was suddenly intercepted by what appeared to a shield made out of blood. The _Getsuga_ hit the shield and dissipated, leaving Ichigo and his friends speechless. A few seconds later the red shield disappeared, revealing the figures of Urahara Kisuke and Shihouin Yoruichi. Urahara was holding his Shikai _Benihime_ in his right hand.

"That was a close call," said Urahara.

"What are you doing here Urahara-san, Yoruichi-san?" asked Ichigo. "Why aren't you in Soul Society?"

"We were forced to flee Seireitei like you guys," said Yoruichi. "Tessai managed to save us from being surrounded by all of the Royal Guard. We lied low in one of Shiba Kukaku's former hideouts along with Byakuya and Yamamoto Sotaicho for a while. Then Kisuke and I decided to follow you and your nakama in your search for Aizen and your father."

"Did you just say Nii-sama was with you Yoruichi-san?" asked Rukia. "Is he alright?"

"He's fine Kuchiki. He told me he was going to train by himself for a few days. He and the Captain Commander are planning an operation to retake Seireitei from the Royal Guards."

"Huh, are you telling me the Royal Guards have taken over Soul Society?" asked Isshin of Yoruichi. The dark-skinned woman and Urahara both nodded.

"The Commander of the Royal Guards Hideyoshi is probably in complete control of Seireitei now," said Urahara. "I have a feeling that he's already sent a group of Royal Guards after your son."

"Why are they hunting Ichigo?"

"In order to find you doofus!" Yoruichi slapped Isshin on the face. "Ichigo and his nakama fled Soul Society to search for you. The Royal Guards probably chased them, knowing that they'll probably find you in the process."

"Shit, if that's the case then we better get out of here," said Isshin.

"Are you joining us Urahara Kisuke, Shihouin Yoruichi?" asked Aizen. "Or are you helping Kurosaki Ichigo?" In response to Aizen's question, Urahara stared at his intellectual rival in the face. Then he pulled down his sandal hat and grinned.

"It looks like we have no choice but to help you guys at the moment," said Urahara. Ichigo and his friends all heard Urahara's words; they were totally astounded by them.

"Why Urahara-san? Why are you siding with my father and Aizen? Are you and Yoruichi-san betraying Soul Society?" asked Ichigo in exasperation. Urahara and Yoruichi stared at Ichigo with solemn expressions on their faces.

"At the moment we have no choice but go along with your father's plan Kurosaki-san," said Urahara. "Once your father finishes his mission I promise you that we'll bring him and Aizen back to Soul Society."

"Ichigo, we are only doing this to protect you guys," said Yoruichi. "We can sense the reiatsu of several Royal Guards coming this way. If they sense your father's spiritual pressure they'll chase after us instead of you. You and your nakama will then be free to return to Soul Society." Yoruichi's words caused Ichigo, Rukia and Renji to reconsider their options for a moment.

"What do you think Ichigo?" asked Rukia. "Urahara-san and Yoruichi-san does have some merit to it. The Royal Guards are bound to catch up to us, and when they do we won't have the chance to escape from them again." Ichigo conceded that Rukia had a point, but his mind was struggling with the emotions in his heart.

"I don't like it one bit. I'd rather follow after my father. I haven't gotten all of the answers out of him yet." Just then, everyone in the vicinity sensed the approach of four massive spiritual pressures, each of them as greater or greater than even Aizen or Isshin.

"Fuck it's those Royal Guards!" exclaimed Renji in fright. "They've found us already!" Ichigo and his friends started to panic. Isshin's group on the other hand, reacted to the arrival of the spiritual pressures with calm and poise.

"It's time to leave," said Isshin. "Hey Aizen, do you have a clear picture of where this 'Azrael' guy is?"

"Of course," said Aizen with a smirk. "My master just sent me a message telling me that he is located in a cave underneath a white snow capped mountain."

"A white snow capped mountain, the only one that comes to mind is Mount Fuji," said Ryuken. "Its location matches the earlier directions Aizen gave us."

"Then let's head there at once. Let's go Kisuke, Yoruichi!" Isshin turned around and flash stepped away. Aizen, Ryuken, Urahara and Yoruichi followed him a second later.

"Wait Otoo-san!" screamed Ichigo in desperation. He knew it was useless. Not only had his father disappeared from sight but seconds later he and his friends were surrounded by an invisible force field that completely restricted all of their movements.

"Fuck, we're trapped!" exclaimed Renji.

"Up there!" Ishida pointed with his head. They all looked at the sky and saw the figures of the four Royal Guards who had clashed with them at Kiyomizu-dera.

"Ha, ha, we have finally caught you!" laughed Suzaku of the Shitenno. "And this time, there shall be no miraculous escape. Rukia tried to use one of the barrier breaking Bakudo spells her brother had taught her, but it had absolutely no effect.

"Damn it, this barrier is too complex for me to break through," said Rukia.

"Of course it is," said the large Shitenno called Genbu who landed on the ground beside Rukia. "All of you have been caught in my _Akuma Kansei_ spell. It is a special Bakudo that was invented by me. No Shinigami Kido can break it." The three other Shitenno landed beside Genbu. One of the Shitenno, the woman with long white hair called Byakko, walked up to Rukia.

"I am glad that we finally get a chance to meet in person Kuchiki Rukia," said Byakko with a delicate smile. "Or shall I call you Tsukino-hime?"

"Huh, what do you mean? And who are you anyway?" asked Rukia. She took a good look at the woman, and all of a sudden blurted out "Sode no Shirayuki?" A second later a voice in Rukia's heard said _I'm still here Rukia-chan. That woman out there is not me_. Rukia was relieved to hear that her Zanpakuto spirit was still inside her body, for the woman in front her looked remarkably like her.

"I thought I heard you say 'Sode no Shirayuki'. Did you mistake me for your Zanpakuto or something?" Byakko smiled at Rukia again. Rukia blushed in embarrassment.

"Hey, don't let that bitch get to you Rukia!" shouted Renji. Byakko heard his comment and suddenly punched the red haired lieutenant in the face.

"How dare you interrupt a conversation between two ladies!" exclaimed Byakko. She gave Renji a withering look before turning back to Rukia again. Rukia found it hard to stare at Byakko, for just seeing her face brought up a whole series of emotions and thoughts in her heard that she had never experienced before.

"What is the matter Rukia? You're sweating all over," said Ichigo.

"I feel like I have…seen this woman before," stuttered Rukia. "I don't know how, but she looks so familiar to me."

"That is because you and I have met before, Tsukino-hime," said Byakko with a grin. "Perhaps I might joy your memory if I tell you my name? I am Ukitake Byakko." Rukia gasped in shock upon hearing the name.

"Ukitake…Byakko? Does that mean you're related to Captain Ukitake?"

"Of course, I'm Jushiro's older sister. He was just as surprised to see me as you are, Tsukino-hime."

"Why are you calling me Tsukino-hime? My name is Kuchiki Rukia! Are you confusing me with someone else?" Rukia's feisty retort made Byakko laugh

"Oh I know full well that you are called Kuchiki Rukia now. But I also know that you are the reincarnation of Princess Tsukino, the daughter of the Spirit King!" Byakko's announcement caused all of Ichigo's friends to gasp in shock. Suzaku and Seiryuu of the Shitenno were also surprised.

"Ha, ha, ha, what is this Byakko? Are you telling me this little midget girl here is the legendary Tsukino-hime?" asked Suzaku. The fiery red haired Royal Guard bent down until he was level with Rukia's face. "She sure looks beautiful though." Rukia spat at Suzaku's face and shouted "Fuck you!" in a move which astonished Ichigo and Renji.

"Ho, she definitely has the same personality as Tsukino-hime," Suzaku chuckled.

"Who would have thought the Daughter of the Moon would have reincarnated as a member of the Kuchiki family; and wind up alongside the son of the traitorous Shiba Isshin. Surely the fates have played an ironic twist," commented Seiryuu.

"Indeed they have. The Kuchikis and the Shibas have always been closely linked together," said Genbu.

"Who cares about fate or coincidences? All that matter is that we've captured both of them," said Suzaku. "Now all we have to do is to track down Isshin-san and the people accompanying him."

"Shall we execute Kurosaki Ichigo and his nakama first?" asked Seiryuu. The blue-haired Royal Guard was eager to unsheathe his sword.

"There is no need. Genbu's barrier can hold them there for an eternity. We'll leave them here for the moment. Once we have found Isshin we'll send them back to Soul Society to be executed."

"Heh, heh, you can be so cruel sometimes Suzaku-san," said Byakko in a mocking tone. "I would prefer it if we put them out of their misery. Although…I'd spare Tsukino-hime's life just so she experience the despair of losing her loved ones."

After that comment, the four Royal Guards suddenly flashed stepped away, leaving Ichigo and his friends stuck inside the barrier.

"They just left us here like that?" asked Chad. He and Orihime had listened to the conversation between the Shinigami and the Royal Guard without understanding a single word that had been said.

"Wow, Kuchiki-san I didn't know you were a princess in your previous life," said Orihime in amazement.

"I had no clue either Inoue," Rukia admitted. Suddenly she grasped her head in pain as a series of thoughts and visions raced through her mind. "But I'm suddenly experiencing these memories I've never had before. Maybe what that Byakko woman said about me was true."

"Don't listen to her Rukia," said Ichigo. "Regardless of what she said, you are always yourself." Ichigo's comment made Rukia relax a bit. The troubles she was experiencing were nothing compared to the emotional pain Ichigo was still grappling with.

* * *

"Hey, I sense four powerful spiritual pressures closing in on us," said Yoruichi. She and Urahara were following behind Isshin, Aizen and Ryuken, as the group of five headed eastwards towards Mount Fuji.

"Looks like the Royal Guards are following us," said Urahara. "And judging by their reiatsu, they must be the Shitenno."

"The Shitenno? They've come to the real world?" asked Isshin with concern. "I never thought such an event would be possible. Their presence in this world will cause undue influence on ordinary humans."

"Why are you so worried about the humans Kurosaki Isshin?" asked Aizen. "If I were you I'd be more worried about your son and his friends. Are you sure it was a wise idea to leave them to the mercy of those Royal Guards? They might not be as benevolent as I was." Aizen's last words alluded the fact he had spared all of the Gotei 13 he defeated during the Battle for Fake Karakura Town. Isshin ignored his comments. _I am sorry for putting you in a difficult situation Ichigo. But I have no doubt you'll get out of it somehow. I pray that you return to Soul Society and not follow me. I cannot beat to see your face as a father…_

* * *

Back at the shores of Lake Biwa, the barrier the Royal Guard Genbu had cast around Ichigo and his friends was suddenly breached by Orihime with her _Koten Zanshun_ spell. The orange-haired lady was surprised that her ability actually worked. She and the others hastily climbed through the hole she had made.

"I did it!" exclaimed Orihime in excitement.

"Good job Inoue! We're finally out of that stupid barrier," said Ishida. He, Chad, Orihime and Renji quickly stood up. Ichigo and Rukia however, were still perched over on the ground. Rukia was still lost in the strange memories she was experiencing. Ichigo on the other hand, was pondering over what course of action to take.

"What should we do now Ichigo?" asked Renji. "Those Royal Guards won't be back for a long while. This is our chance to go under the radar again. Should we return to Soul Society, or do you want to follow your father?"

"Don't pressure him Abarai. Kurosaki is clearly deciding now on what our objective is," said Ishida. Renji sighed and waited for Ichigo to make up his mind. After a long while of internal struggle Ichigo finally made up his mind.

"I'm going after my father no matter what happens," said Ichigo. "I can't rest easy until I get the full truth from him."

"I was hoping for that response Kurosaki. I'd have been disappointed if you have up so soon," said Ishida with a smile.

"Hey Rukia, can you get a signal on Aizen's spiritual pressure again?" asked Ichigo. It took a few seconds for Rukia to snap out of her own thoughts.

"Huh? Oh sorry, I wasn't paying attention Ichigo," said Rukia. She got out her Danreishinki and set it to scan mode. "Alright, I've got a bearing on Aizen. He's about fifteen kilometres to the east of us and heading eastwards at a steady pace."

"Alright, let's head after him then."

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Soul Society, Shiba Kukaku was surprised to see Ichigo's sisters Yuzu and Karin at the front gates of the Shiba Manor.

"Yuzu, Karin, what are you two girls doing here?" asked Kukaku. "You should still be studying at the Academy." She noticed that both girls had reddish eyes and sad faces.

"Oh it's terrible Aunt Kukaku!" Yuzu wailed.

"They've shut down the school and sent all of the students home!" exclaimed Karin.

"What?" Kukaku was aghast. "How did this happen? Why did they close the Academy?" Both Yuzu and Karin were too distraught to answer, so Kukaku led them both to the manor's living quarters. When they were inside she boiled a kettle of tea and served a cup each to the sisters. Eventually Yuzu and Karin had calmed down enough to speak clearly.

"Aunt Kukaku, these strange people wearing these colorful robes and long cloaks on their back walked into the school one day and declared that all of us students were to be sent home," said Yuzu.

"And I heard from one of my friends that all of the teachers were to be rounded up and made to answer difficult questions," said Karin. Kukaku struggled to take in what the sisters were telling her.

"Whoa slow down girls. Yuzu, can you describe these people in more detail? What did they look like?" asked Kukaku. Yuzu pondered for a moment, trying to think of a way to express what she had seen.

"Um, I'm not quite sure Aunt Kukaku. I didn't get a look at their faces. All I can remember is that the capes they were wearing were shiny gold in colour. And they had these big fancy shoulder pads." As she heard Yuzu's descriptions Kukaku soon realized what the girl was referring to. There was only one group of people in all of Soul Society who wore those trademark golden capes: the Royal Guards. As she thought about the implications of this new, Kukaku started to panic.

"No…I don't believe this is happening," said Kukaku to herself. "If the Royal Guard are here and they've shut down the Academy, what other institutions have they tampered with?"

Just then, Kukaku heard the sound of footsteps approaching the door of the manor's living quarters. It was her brother Ganju. He had a glum look on his face.

"What is wrong Ganju? You look all depressed," said Kukaku.

"Nee-san, I went for a stroll around Seireitei to see how things were going, and I have to say I've never seen things as bad as they are now," said Ganju.

"What do you mean?" asked Kukaku. Ganju whispered into Kukaku's ear everything he had seen and heard. When he was finished, Kukaku was completely shell shocked.

"No…way…the Gotei 13 has been…disbanded?" A feeling of despair gripped Kukaku's heart. Ganju nodded grimly.

"I heard a few of the captains are still hanging around, but with Yamamoto Sotaicho gone, there is not much hope for Soul Society."

"Uncle Ganju, what about Nii-san? Have you heard from him?" asked Yuzu.

"Yeah we haven't heard from Ichi-nii for ages," said Karin. Ganju looked at Kukaku with a worried face. Kukaku nodded in full understanding. Both of them realized how difficult it would be break the news to Ichigo's sisters.

"Should we tell them the truth Nee-san?" whispered Ganju into Kukaku's ear.

"I don't think it is a good idea," Kukaku whispered back. "It might make them all distressed and anxious."

"Okay, why don't you tell them a convincing lie?" Kukaku didn't like Ganju's idea but she realized it was the best option they had. She took a deep breath before speaking.

"Girls I'm sure your brother is still okay," said Kukaku with a fake smile. "Ganju told me he's gone out on a mission of some sort. He'll be back soon I promise."

"If that is true Aunt Kukaku, then we'll wait here for him to come back," said Yuzu.

"He better be back soon. I won't forgive Ichi-nii if he broke his promise," said Karin.

Kukaku was relieved that Yuzu and Karin bought the lie she had told them. As the two sisters left the table and went to their own rooms, Kukaku had another private chat with Ganju.

"Nee-san, I don't think it is safe for us to live in Seireitei anymore," said Ganju.

"I know what you mean Ganju," said Kukaku. She sighed deeply. "Uncle Isshin has caused trouble for us again. If the Royal Guards find out about us, we are finished."

"Should we flee to the Rukongai then?"

"No. I'd prefer to stay here. Someone has to stand up to these Royal Guards. I just hope that Ichigo-kun comes back safely."

"Yeah, me too." The two of them gazed at the full moon over Soul Society.

* * *

Comments:

Ichigo finally meets his father again after a five year separation, and after 47 chapters. From this chapter onwards, a lot of plot threads that have been left hanging from the previous arcs will finally be expanded upon and resolved.

*Akuma Kansei: Means 'demon trap' in Japanese.

*Princess Tsukino(月野): Means 'of the moon' in Japanese. I borrowed the name and the concept of Rukia's previous reincarnation being a Royal Princess from Sailor Moon. I thought it was fitting, considering that Rukia also has many motifs that are related to the moon. Her hidden alter ego will also provide her with a background that directly ties into the main plot of this arc, more of which will be revealed in upcoming chapters.

*Ukitake Byakko: Yep, Byakko is actually is Ukitake's sister. She also has close relations with Rukia's former self.


	49. Chapter 49: Hot Springs of Reflection

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

*Thanks for the reviews of the last chapter! I received many helpful comments. The next few chapters will feature a lot of exciting revelations!

* * *

Chapter 49: Hot Springs of Reflection

"Slow down Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime called out. The orange haired girl was panting heavily as she tried to keep up with Ichigo's Shunpo. The group had been flash stepping across the countryside for the past two hours, and it was now well into the night, with the full moon hanging high above them.

"I think we should stop for the night Kurosaki," said Ishida. "We've been running non-stop for the past two hours now. All of us are physically and spiritually exhausted."

"The Quincy is right Ichigo. We can't afford to keep running like this. If we bump into those Shitenno again we'll be dead for sure," said Renji.

"Spare some thought for Orihime Ichigo. Ishida and I may be able to keep up with you but she can't. She's only recently learned how to perform the human equivalent of flash stepping," said Chad. Despite the rational comments that his friends had made, Ichigo continued to flash step forward. He was motivated by a desire to catch up with his father no matter what.

"You should listen to your friends Ichigo," said Rukia. "We should stop and rest for the night. My Danreishinki is losing track of Aizen's reiatsu. I don't think I can keep track of him anymore." It was Rukia's comment that finally made Ichigo halt his advance. He realized that it was pointless to continue without knowing where Aizen or his father was.

"Fine, we'll find a place to rest for the night." Ichigo and his nakama searched around the vicinity for accommodation. Fortunately it did not take long for them to find a place to stay. The six nakama arrived at the front door of a small two storey lodge located under the shadow of a mountain. Ichigo was about to knock on the door when Ishida stopped him.

"Let me handle this Kurosaki. You, Kuchiki and Abarai are still in your Shinigami forms," said Ishida. "The humans who run this probably can't see you."

"Oh right I forgot about that." Ichigo calmly waited as the Quincy lightly tapped on the door. A short while later they were greeted by an old granny dressed in a traditional kimono.

"Konichiwa, how may I serve you distinguished guests?" said the granny in a very formal style of speech.

"We would like to book some rooms for an overnight stay," said Ishida. The old granny squinted her eyes and took a good at her guests.

"Ah I see. All six of you want to stay overnight?" Ichigo and the other Shinigami was surprised by the granny's statement.

"Er, Obaa-san, can you see us?" asked Ichigo.

"Of course I can. I can see you very clearly you handsome young man," said the granny politely. "I do wonder you and the two people standing next to you are wearing black kimonos though." Ichigo looked at Rukia and Renji. The other two Shinigami did not know what to say.

"Er Obaa-san, I am sorry for asking this but can you see spirits?" It took the granny a while to realize what Ichigo was saying, but when she did the granny chuckled.

"Oh my I did not notice that the three of you are spirits. We get so many spirits coming here to stay for the night that I can hardly tell the difference between a living person and a dead person, ho, ho, ho!"

"Why is that Obaa-san? How are you able to us spirits so clearly?" asked Rukia.

"This part of Japan is full of hot springs which are said to be mystical in nature. There is a hot spring located in the backyard of this hotel. My family has been running this place for generations and during that time we have welcomed both the living and the dead. You young ones are just in luck. I have three bedrooms vacant on the ground floor that are available for the night. Come on in, I'll show you them." The group followed the old granny inside the small but rather charming hotel. Ishida thanked the granny and paid the accommodation fees for all three rooms up front. The granny handed them the keys to the rooms. The group quickly decided who would sleep in each room. Ichigo ended up with Rukia, Ishida with Orihime, and Chad with Renji.

After they settled down in their rooms and had a quick meal, the six nakama soon headed out to the hotel's backyard. They were all stunned to see an enormous open air hot spring the size of an Olympic swimming pool.

"Wow a hot spring! I've never had a chance to take a dip in one!" Orihime squealed excitedly. Upon hearing Orihime's voice, the old granny appeared outside for a moment.

"Feel free to take a bathe in the hot spring. It is our hotel's main attraction," said the old granny. The group thanked the old granny as she went inside.

"That Obaa-san is really nice," said Rukia.

"Yeah I can tell she has a pure heart," said Ichigo.

"What are you waiting for guys? Let's take a dip in the hot spring!" exclaimed Orihime. Without warning the busty orange haired girl started undressing right in front of the others, much to Ichigo, Ishida and Chad's embarrassment.

"Have some modesty please Inoue-san," said Ishida. His face was already bright red.

"Oh sorry, I got too carried away," said Orihime with a smile. She took off the rest of her clothes and dived into the surprisingly deep hot spring. The others took their time to undress, making sure to grab a robe to cover their private parts before they entered. Rukia took the longest to take off her clothes, as she was embarrassed to let the guys see her. She had a large towel covering her torso as she entered the hot springs.

"Hey, what is the matter Rukia? Why don't you take that towel off?" asked Renji with a grin on his face. Rukia blushed heavily in embarrassment. She quickly dipped her entire body into the water before letting go of her towel.

"I must say, you're much shyer about baring your body than Inoue-san is Kuchiki-san," commented Ishida. "She frequently undresses right in front of me."

"Ha, ha, ha, Rukia is even more of a prude than I am," laughed Ichigo.

"Shut up! I don't want you guys making fun of me!" shouted Rukia in embarrassment.

"Aww come on Kuchiki-san what is there to be embarrassed about?" asked Orihime. Rukia tried hard to hide her amazement at Orihime's openness. For a while the six friends enjoyed the relaxing and soothing warm of the hot spring's waters. Ichigo felt the energy he had spent during the long day being restored to him. He found himself beside Rukia, who also felt her energy returning to her.

"This place reminds me of the hot spring in that secret underground training chamber under the Sokyoku," said Rukia.

"Because of the healing properties of the water?" asked Ichigo. Rukia nodded.

"I feel like all of the stress and emotions I've experienced today have been washed away." On the other side of the hot spring, Ishida and Orihime had found a space where they could have a private talk together.

"Inoue-san, do you remember your mother and father?" asked Ishida.

"Huh, why are you asking me that question Ishida-kun?" Orihime was confused. "You've never inquired about my family before."

"I'm sorry if I've asked you a sensitive question. I know you used to have an elder brother."

"Yeah, Sora Onii-chan looked after me when I was young," said Orihime. "I do have some memories of my parents. They didn't really care for me much. I used to always hear them arguing with each other. Onii-chan said they treated him horribly. I guess that explains why he took me and ran away from home."

"That is really sad," said Ishida. "I didn't know you had such a tragic child hood."

"It is no big deal. Onii-chan loved me very much, and Kurosaki-kun gave me a chance to give him a proper goodbye when he passed away. What about your parents Ishida-kun? I know about your father but I have never heard you telling me anything about your mother."

"Well, to tell the truth, I have little recollection of my mother," said Ishida. He sighed deeply. "She must have died when I was very young. My grandfather used to tell me stories about her; about how deeply in love my father was with her. Ojii-san said my father was never the same after she passed away. Even now, I've never seen a picture of her. I guess father kept all of the photos of her to himself."

"Geez that is so sad Ishida-kun. I hope you see a picture of your mother some day." Ishida became silent. He turned his gaze up to the stars and the full moon above. He wondered if his father was thinking the same thoughts as he was now.

* * *

Unbeknownst to Ichigo, the group led by his father Isshin had also been forced to halt for the night and seek shelter. Having realized they were in an area of Japan that was full of dense reishi that interfered with the sensing of reiatsu, the group took advantage of the opportunity to lie low and avoid being spotted by the four Royal Guards who had been chasing them.

In another uncanny similarity, Isshin and his comrades had also stumbled upon a nearby hotel with a hot spring. The owners of the hotel were skeptical of granting them accommodation because they were spirits, but eventually Ryuken convinced them to allow the four Shinigami a room to sleep in.

Just as with Ichigo's group, Isshin and his comrades wasted no time in taking a dip in the hotel's open air hot spring. The first one in the hot spring was Yoruichi, who had taken off the clothes she was wearing in an instant and dived into the water.

"Ah the water feels nice," said Yoruichi. She swam gracefully across the hot spring with her naked body. As she did so, the four other men undressed and entered the hot spring. Aizen was the last person to step into the water. As he did so his Zanpakuto spirit suddenly materialized out of nowhere.

"What are you doing Kyoka Suigetsu?" asked Aizen. The stunningly beautiful woman admired her master's naked body with sparkling eyes.

"Aizen-sama, I want to take a bath with you," said Kyoka Suigetsu in a high pitched voice. Isshin and Urahara burst out laughing, as they had never seen Aizen in such a hilarious situation. Before her master could protest, the voluptuous Zanpakuto spirit took her red kimono and jumped into the water. She hugged her arms around Aizen's body.

"Hey Aizen, it appears your Zanpakuto loves you very much," said Urahara.

"Is that meant to be a compliment or an insult Urahara Kisuke?" asked Aizen. "The relationship I share with Kyoka Suigetsu is 'special'."

"I think all of us share the same view in regard to our Zanpakutos," said Isshin. "My Engetsu is female too. She doesn't like showing off her body though."

"You're just jealous of my love for Aizen-sama, Kurosaki Isshin," said Kyoka Suigetsu in a mocking tone. Isshin chuckled.

"Not at all Kyoka Suigetsu. The love I have for my Zanpakuto is not the same as the love I had for my beloved wife," said Isshin.

"Are you referring to Kurosaki Masaki?" asked Aizen. "She gave her life to protect her son. That must have been very noble of her." Isshin said nothing. He knew it was better not to argue with Aizen about insulting his late wife.

"Speaking of wives, what about you Ryuken? Your son Uryu-kun never told us anything about his mother," said Yoruichi. Yoruichi's words made Ryuken tense a bit. The Quincy was reluctant to discuss personal matters in front of the Shinigami.

"I…don't really wish to speak about my wife," said Ryuken. "She was just an ordinary human but I loved her very much. It was because of her that I ended up running Karakura General Hospital; her family bequeathed the hospital to me upon our marriage. She…was stricken by an incurable disease shortly after Uryu was born. My one regret to this day was not being able to save her life." The Quincy tried hard to hold back his tears but his emotions were clearly visible upon his face.

For a while the five powerful individuals sat in the hot spring in silence, trying their best to forget the inevitable task that they faced. The silence was broken when Urahara felt inclined to ask Isshin a personal question.

"I am sorry for asking this Isshin-san, but is it true what your said about you? Did you really kill the members of the Royal Family?" Isshin pondered Urahara's question for moment. Despite being the closest of friends, the two of them still kept some personal secrets from each other. Isshin was keenly aware that Urahara was trying to inquire about the darkest secret Isshin had kept about himself. At any other time Isshin would have refused to tell the truth but Isshin knew in his heart that he couldn't succeed in his mission if he couldn't even trust his closest friend with personal matters.

"To be honest, I pretty much condemned them to their deaths," said Isshin. "That is how I feel about the shame I've been carrying for the past hundred years."

"So you weren't the actual killer then?"  
"No, but I witnessed the slaughter of the entire family first hand."

"Isshin, you had better explain the entire situation to us from the beginning," said Yoruichi. "Tell us what happened in the King's Realm."

"Alright, seeing as we've come this far there is no point in hiding the truth anymore. It all began with my promotion to the Royal Guard. Commander Hideyoshi assigned me to guard the daughter of the Royal Family's main line, Princess Amaterasu. As the second child of the Reioh Izanagi, she was as young or even younger than I was. I was only supposed to be her bodyguard but over time I developed feelings of attachment to her. Those feelings were to prove my undoing, for I was not the only one who eyed her affection. As the Reioh had no male heir, it was decided that one of the two princes from the branch family would inherit the title to the Spirit Throne. The elder of the two princes, Prince Tsukuyomi, assumed he would be the rightful heir, because of the unusually strong spiritual powers he possessed. He actively courted Amaterasu to ensure his title to the throne was assured. I don't think he ever loved her personally; all he wanted was the absolute power the Reioh possessed.

"I guess Izanagi saw through Tsukuyomi's lust for power; for in his dying moments he nominated the younger of the two princes, Prince Susano-o, as the Crown Prince, and declared Amaterasu to be his wife.

"What happened after that Isshin-san?" asked Urahara. Isshin went silent for a moment.

"Tsukuyomi went into a rage when he found out the throne had been denied to him. He decided to kill all of his family as revenge for not being declared the Crown Prince. I personally witnessed his horrendous act. The old Reioh, his wife, and the other members of the main and branch families all fell to Tsukuyomi's blade. Despite being a Royal Guard myself, I was powerless to stop him. Tsukuyomi possessed a level of power that transcended any Shinigami. Only his brother Susano-o was a match for him in power, and even he was mortally wounded. Instead of killing his brother, Tsukuyomi spared Susano-o's life, but as spite he kidnapped Amaterasu and fled the King's Realm. As the Princess's bodyguard I felt obliged to stop Tsukuyomi, so I chased after him.

"We somehow ended in the Dangai. My meeting with Tsukuyomi resulted in an intense confrontation which resulted in Amaterasu's death and the loss of my Shinigami powers. The three of us were then hit by the Kototsu and blasted through the time stream. It was a miracle that I managed to make it to the real world alive."

"And that was when I found you in the streets of Karakura Town right?" asked Urahara. Isshin nodded.

"What happened to Prince Tsukuyomi then? Did you kill him?" asked Yoruichi.

" I thought I did. If he didn't die when I got him with my _Saigo no Getsuga Tensho_ then he must have certainly died when the Kototsu hit him. Still, there is a nagging feeling in my mind that somehow he is still alive. Until I can be sure that he is dead and his head is brought before the Royal Guards, I cannot erase the shame I've been carrying all of these years for letting Princess Amaterasu die."

* * *

As Isshin was recounting his past to his closest friends, the four Shitenno were in the midst of squabbling of one another. They too had been forced to halt for the night and seek shelter, as the spiritual fog created by the hot springs made tracking down their prey all but impossible. Like the other groups, they stumbled upon a hotel located beside a hot spring, but instead of paying for the accommodation the Shitenno instead killed all of the humans inside the hotel and claimed the building for themselves.

"Blast, I can't believe we were forced to end our search that traitor Shiba Isshin!' swore Suzaku. He, Seiyruu and Genbu were perched upon the edge of the hot spring with their feet in the water, wearing nothing except cloths covering their waists.

"We had no other choice Suzaku-san. Shiba Isshin's reiatsu totally disappeared. We would have been lost if we had continued to search for him in the dark," said Genbu.

"That's a poor excuse for giving up the search," said Suzaku. "I only stopped because you guys all insisted on sleeping the night."

"Come on Suzaku, why don't you relax and enjoy the hot spring?" asked Byakko. The white haired woman was submerged in the soothing waters of the hot spring. She was enjoying the water so much that she started to pleasure herself. After much grumbling, Suzaku, Seiryuu and Genbu also hopped into the water.

"Tomorrow I will definitely find Shiba Isshin. And when I find him, I'll kill him with my bare hands," said Suzaku in a murderous tone. "I'll never forgive him for killing our liege lord Tsukuyomi-dono."

"Ah yes, I miss Prince Tsukuyomi too. He was so handsome and dashing," said Byakko.

"You know, I have a feeling Tsukuyomi-dono might still be alive. The last time we saw him was when he disappeared through a portal along with Shiba Isshin. If Shiba Isshin came out of it alive then perhaps our Prince survived as well," said Seiyruu.

"Ha, that's an absolutely crazy idea Seiryuu. There's no way such an outcome be possible," said Suzaku. "Tsukuyomi-sama was killed by Shiba Isshin. End of story."

* * *

Back at the first hot springs hotel, Ichigo and his nakama had finished their dip in the hot spring. Still exhausted after a long day of fighting and flash stepping, they all went to bed early. Ichigo and Rukia had never shared a room together, and it took them a while to come up with a comfortable sleeping arrangement. In the end, they agreed to sleep about three feet apart from each other.

About four hours after he lay down on the sleeping mat, Ichigo was woken up by noises coming from a distressed Rukia. He heard her tossing and turning about and mumbling some strange things in her sleep. Then, all of a sudden Rukia shot up awake.

"Mamoru-chan!" shouted Rukia all of a sudden. The petite woman stared blankly at the wall for a few seconds before she realized she had experiencing a dream. Her entire body felt hot and sweaty.

"Did you have a bad nightmare Rukia?" asked Ichigo. He got up onto his knees and stared at Rukia. He noticed the beads of sweat on her face and around her neck.

"I…don't know what's happening to me Ichigo," said Rukia. Her voice was weak and betrayed the anxiety she was experiencing. "Ever since our second encounter with those Royal Guards I've been seeing and hearing memories in my head about strange people and places I've never been in before, and I'm imagining myself as a different person."

"What do you Rukia? Are you saying you're dreaming of memories you never had?" asked Ichigo. Rukia nodded sheepishly.

"I am certain I've never experienced any of those moments in my life before. I died in the real world when I was just a baby, and my childhood years in Rukongai were spent with Renji and his gang in Inuzuri. I do recall being visited by someone who looked like Urahara. I guess that was when he implanted the Hougyoku inside of me. When all of my Inuzuri friends except Renji died, I enrolled in the Academy and studied there until Nii-sama found me. I was then enlisted into the Gotei 13 as a member of the 13th."

"I heard you say the name 'Mamoru' when you woke up. Could you have been thinking of Shiba Kaien?"

"No, the man I saw in my dreams didn't look like Kaien-dono at all. In fact…he looked somewhat like you Ichigo. He had the same colour hair as you." Ichigo widened his eyes in surprise.

"Are you serious? You dreamt about a man who looked like me? What did he look like?"

"I guess he looked slightly different to you. He was older and more mature looking. He was also wearing clothes that looked a lot like those Shihakusho those Royal Guards were wearing." Ichigo didn't know what to say. He initially thought Rukia was making everything up, but her descriptions seemed far too detailed to have simply been the result of her imagination.

"What about yourself Rukia? You said you were imagining yourself as a different person," said Ichigo. Rukia nodded.

"I…kind of pictured myself as a princess. I was wearing a fancy looking white kimono that was very pretty. I also had much longer hair that was lighter in colour."

"Okay, was that all you dreamt about?"

"No, there was more. I saw another person, a man who somehow looked like Aizen. He…stabbed the guy who looked like you. It was at this moment that I felt myself shouting out "Mamoru-chan". Maybe that was the name of that person."

Ichigo reflected on the dream that Rukia had described to him about. Everything he had heard sounded too real to be make belief. _Maybe Rukia is recalling memories of her past self?_ Ichigo thought that idea might be plausible. He remembered the words the Royal Guards had said to Rukia when they were at the island in the middle of Lake Biwa. _You are the reincarnation of the Princess Tsukino, daughter of the Spirit King_! Those were the words the Royal Guard Byakko had said to Rukia.

"Rukia, this may be a stretch, but have you considered the possibility you are experiencing memories of your previous life?" asked Ichigo.

"You mean my past incarnation?"

"Yeah, it was the first thing that came to my mind. After all, that female Royal Guard called Byakko called you 'Princess Tsukino' and mentioned something about reincarnation." Rukia went silent for a moment as she tried to piece her thoughts together. Ichigo was worried about her wellbeing; the emotional stress she had experienced during the day must have taken a toll on her. Despite her best efforts Rukia could no longer suppress her emotions; tears came flowing down her face as she broke down.

"I don't know what to do Ichigo," cried Rukia. "I think I'm losing my mind. What if some alternate personality hidden inside me all this time takes over and I become a different person? I'm scared that I'll forget about my loved ones, or possibly even hurt them. I…don't want that to ever happen to me!" Ichigo listened to Rukia's crying for some time. He had never seen her like this but he understood how she felt. He had experienced the same pain she was suffering before and he knew it was to cope with. He instinctively placed his arms around Rukia's body and held her tightly.

"It's alright Rukia. You always worry about things too much and try to shoulder all of your burdens by yourself. Let me and your other nakama handle your worries," said Ichigo. "If you somehow lose your mind I'll restore it for you. If you forget about your loved ones I'll make you remember. Even if you become a different person you'll still be the same Rukia I know. Don't forget that I'm always here for you, just like you were always there for me whenever I was in despair. It's okay to cry sometimes Rukia, but you shouldn't be overwhelmed by your emotions. The Rukia I know is a strong woman who doesn't care about how others think of her. That is the Rukia I want you to be."

"Thanks…Ichigo. I feel much better now," said Rukia with a smile.

* * *

Comments

This chapter serves two purposes, as a breather chapter before the storyline picks up pace again, and as an expository chapter introducing more backstory characters. The scene with Ichigo and Rukia at the end was something I worked extra hard to get right, as I wanted a scene where Ichigo provides Rukia with emotional support.

*The Royal Family: Amaterasu, Izanagi, Tsukuyomi and Susano-o are all named after the respective Japanese Shinto gods. Each of these characters have similar personalities and relationships to their namesake counterparts with slight exceptions.

*Mamoru: Name means 'to protect' in Japanese. More will be revealed of his character later on.


	50. Chapter 50: To Mount Fuji

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite and Shuesha.

*Thank you for all the reviews I've received so far! I promise that the next three chapters will feature completelt mind blowing events and revelations.

* * *

Chapter 50: To Mount Fuji

As the sun set over Soul Society, a dispirited Gotei 13 tried to cope with the totalitarian dictatorship of the Royal Guards. With so many captains in exile or in prison, the Central 46 reduced a puppet body, and scores of nobles arrested or forced to flee their homes, there was scarce hope for the loyalist Shinigami who remained. Most of the Gotei divisions had been reduced to a shambles due to the fact their captains and lieutenants were missing. The few divisions that had remained relatively intact were still barely coping with the oppressive atmosphere hanging over Soul Society. One such division was the tenth.

Matsumoto entered the captain's office after a day of hard work. She dumped a pile of documents onto a table before falling flat onto a nearby couch.

"I'm soooo tired! I haven't done so much work in ages!" the 10th division lieutenant complained. A petite woman with short black hair tied up in a bob chuckled at the big breasted blonde's words.

"Welcome back Rangiku-san," said Hinamori.

"Oh, you're still here Hinamori?" asked Matsumoto. "How is the captain?" Hinamori's face darkened when Matsumoto mentioned her captain Hitsugaya.

"Shiro chan is…he's still bedridden. He's been mumbling to himself ever since he got back from the Captain Commander's office."

"I see." Though both Matsumoto and Hinamori were reluctant to discuss what happened to their captain, they were well aware that Hitsugaya had been interrogated by the Royal Guards. Though he was discharged after having been found innocent, the ordeal had left him visibly shaken and emotionally distressed.

Matsumoto got up from the couch and walked to the door of the captain's private bedroom. She took a peek inside. She saw her captain lying on the bed, his entire body shivering.

"Hitsugaya…Seiryuu? You're my…Ojii-san?" Hitsugaya mumbled. "No…why are you doing this? Otoo-san and Okaa-san are dead…Obaa-san…Obaa-san is…"

At this point Matsumoto couldn't take Hitsugaya's rambling anymore. It was too horrible to listen to. She silently shut the door and turned back to Hinamori.

"Rangiku-san, what should we do to help Shiro-chan?" asked Hinamori.

"I… don't know Hinamori," said Matsumoto. Despite having known him for nearly five decades, Matsumoto still did not know much about her captain's personality. Since his entrance to the Gotei 13, Hitsugaya had always hid his true fragile heart beneath an ice cold exterior. _Taicho, I wish there was something I could do to help you._

* * *

At the second division barracks, Sui Feng walked into the captain's office and handed the Royal Guard Shihouin Ranjana a stack of documents.

"Here are the remaining files about the Onimitsukidou's missions Ranjana-san," said Sui Feng. The head of the Shihouin family looked up from the book he was reading and glanced at Sui Feng.

"Leave them here and return to your quarters. I will call for you when I am done reading them," said Ranjana. As Sui Feng turned away she gave Ranjana a resentful glare. She hated having to watch an usurper occupy the chair that was rightfully hers while she was forced to wear the uniform of a lowly Executive Militia. She exited the captain's quarters without a word and walked to the small dormitory that Ranjana had allocated to her. As she walked her emotions got to her and tears started flowing down Sui Feng's face.

_Yoruichi-sama, I hope you come back soon. I can't stand being treated like a lowly servant anymore…_

* * *

Sarugaki Hiyori nervously entered the captain's office of the 12th Division barracks. She had received an unusual summons from the Royal Guard Hikifune Kirio, who had taken over the leadership of the division. Ever since Hikifune came to the Soul Society, Hiyori's feelings for her former captain were mixed. Though she was overjoyed at first to see her old mentor again, she did not like the way Hikifune had acted towards her current captain Urahara and towards the other members of the division as a whole. Since Urahara's sudden flight from Seireitei, Hiyori found it hard to abide by Hikifune's orders.

"Did you call me Hikifune-san?" asked Hiyori as she walked into the captain's office.

"I did Hiyori-chan." The black-haired woman looked up from the work she was currently doing. "I need to ask you some personal questions."

"What kind of questions Hikifune-san?" Hiyori became anxious as Hikifune stared at her with a pair of cold eyes.

"I want to ask you about your relationship with Urahara Kisuke, about the circumstances surrounding his trial 117 years ago, and about how you acquired your hollow abilities." Hiyori froze in shock when she heard Hikifune's words.

"Hikifune-san…how did you know I have the abilities of a hollow?"

"Don't underestimate my research Hiyori-chan. I had the whole of the Great Spiritual Archive to draw upon. Now then, please tell me how you came to be hollowfied. Don't be shy, start at the beginning."

Hikifune's request was more of a stern order. Hiyori could not refuse to answer the questions, but she was struggling with her own inner conscience. _I'm sorry Kisuke, Shinji, I have no choice but to betray your trust_. Hiyori sat down and began to speak to Hikifune about her experiences.

* * *

"Man this place stinks," said Kensei Muguruma. He, Love, Rose and Shinji had been locked up in the Maggot's Nest for the past two days. The four captains had chosen to resign from their offices and their duties as Shinigami instead of submitting to the Royal Guards' interrogation process. As a consequence they were thrown into the Maggot's Nest. Now they were sitting in a room with a whole bunch of deserters and traitors, dressed in ordinary white prison robes.

"It would have been better if we had submitted to the interrogation," said Rose. "Don't you think so Love-san?"

"Yeah, I agree Rose. We shouldn't have given up so easily. Why the hell did you make us do it Shinji?" The three Visoreds stared at their nominal leader. The long blonde haired man sighed deeply in regret.

"I am sorry for dragging you three into this, but there were too many people who would have been at risk if we had been questioned," said Shinji. "Were it just us four who had dark secrets to hide I would not have hesitated to undergo the interrogation process. But don't forget Hiyori-chan, Mashiro-chan, Lisa-chan and Hachi share the same fate as we do. If the Royal Guards discovered that we underwent hollowfication, all of us might get executed."

"Oh right, I totally forgot about that," said Love.

"What shall we do then? We can't just stay in here forever," said Kensei. Before Shinji could respond the front door of the Maggot's Nest opened and the Commander of the Royal Guards Hideyoshi himself came to visit the four ex-captains.

"What do you want?" asked Shinji. "We've already resigned our ranks and positions."

"I am afraid that is not enough Hirako Shinji," said Hideyoshi sternly. "I have just been given some interesting information by Hikifune Kirio. She says that you four captains, and four other lieutenants have acquired forbidden hollow powers and have refused to disclose them to the Central 46. Such acts amount to insubordination and treason against the Reioh. For that reason the Central 46 has declared that the four of you shall be executed and disposed of as hollows within twenty four hours. That is all."

With that the old man left the Maggot's Nest, shutting the door firmly behind him. Shinji and his friends were left shell shocked. They couldn't believe their secret had been found out already.

"What are we going to do now Shinji?" asked Rose. "They'll execute us, and once we're dead they'll go after Hiyori and the others!"

"I know that Rose!" exclaimed Shinji. He gnashed his teeth in frustration. The entire situation looked hopeless to then. _You'd better hurry up and find your dad Ichigo. You're our only hope for salvation now_.

* * *

As dawn broke over Eastern Japan, Ichigo and his nakama woke up from their night's sleep refreshed and re-energized. After they gathering their belongings, Ichigo and Ishida paid for the old granny of the hot springs hotel their accommodation fees and thanked her for providing them with shelter. The old granny hoped to see them again as she saw them off.

"Ah, I had a really good nights' sleep!" exclaimed Orihime. "I'm ready for a big day of adventure!" She stretched her arms about and jumped on the spot several times. Chad, Ishida and Renji were also feeling refreshed. Ichigo and Rukia on the other hand were still feeling tired. Rukia let out a loud yawn.

"What's the matter Rukia? Your eyes are all reddish," said Renji.

"Heh, heh, you could say I didn't sleep well last night," Rukia tried to laugh it off.

"You don't look 100% either Kurosaki," said Ishida.

"I'm fine Ishida. Our sole focus is to locate Aizen and our dads. We should avoid confronting the Royal Guards at all cost," said Ichigo. As the six nakama left the hot springs area Rukia's Danreishinki started working again.

"Ichigo, I'm picking up a signal on my pager," said Rukia. "It's Aizen's spiritual pressure. I think your father's group has started moving again. They're heading eastwards at a steady pace."

"Thanks for the info Rukia. We'll follow that signal but we have to make sure we keep our reiatsus suppressed. We do not want the Royal Guards to find us." With that, Ichigo and his friends started flash stepping across the countryside again. They stuck to a slow enough speed that ensured their spiritual pressure would remain undetectable.

* * *

At the same moment, Isshin's group was speeding across the country-side only a dozen or so kilometres north of Ichigo and his nakama. The five powerful seniors were too focused on the end goal of their mission to notice the small blips of reiatsu to the south.

"Hey Aizen, do you have a bead on your master?" asked Isshin.

"Do you even need to ask Kurosaki Isshin. Azrael-sama is guiding me to his location as we speak," said Aizen.

"Am I correct in assuming your master is located beneath Mount Fuji?" asked Ryuken.

"If that is the name you call that snow-capped mountain." Both Isshin and Ryuken were inclined to trust the answers Aizen had given them. Urahara and Yoruichi however were more suspicious. Despite having been briefed by Isshin about the person they were supposedly looking for, the duo were still skeptical that Aizen would honour his word.

"Hey Kisuke, do you trust Aizen's story that he is being mind controlled by some unknown guy?" Yoruichi whispered into Urahara's ear. Urahara pondered Yoruichi's question for some time as they flash stepped across the country side. It had been a question that he himself had been working on ever since they joined with Isshin's team.

"To be honest…even I have doubts whether Aizen is telling the truth," said Urahara. "But if he is, then it would explain why his true personality was so different."

"Huh, true personality? What do you mean? You've seen Aizen's true self?"

"Yes. Kurosaki-san and I were the only two people to see Aizen's true personality. After Kurosaki-san used his _Saigo no Getsuga Tensho_ and allowed the seal I implanted into Aizen to activate, I finally saw what he was truly like behind the manipulative and arrogant façade of his. I looked into the hate filled eyes of his, and saw a sad lonely man driven by the sole maniacal desire to kill the Reioh. I almost felt sorry for him."

"I still don't quite get what you are saying Kisuke, but am I correct in assuming that you believe some unknown force had been driving Aizen's thoughts and actions?"

"That is what I believe. I am not entirely certain but I have a hunch that it is the truth."

* * *

Some ten kilometers to the west of Isshin's group, the Royal Guard Suzaku and the rest of the Shitenno had been closely monitoring every single spiritual pressure located within a fifty kilometer radius. They had been doing so ever since the dawn broke and the fog around the host springs slowly disappeared. Most of the signals they picked up were too insignificant to notice but within a few hours of daybreak they picked a large cluster of spiritual pressures to the east.

"Suzaku-san I'm picking up a group of huge spiritual pressures," said Genbu.

"So am I. One of the spiritual pressures definitely belongs to Shiba Isshin," said Seiyruu.

"At last we've found them!" exclaimed Suzaku. "Let's hunt them down at once!"

"Wait a second Suzaku-kun. Wouldn't it be better if we tailed them from behind and find out what they are up to?" asked Byakko. "They appear to be heading somewhere."

"Who cares what they are after? If we don't go after them now they'll go into hiding again!" shouted Suzaku.

"Actually Byakko has a point. Shiba Isshin and his companions may not necessarily know we have found them. If we chased after them at full speed they will sense us coming and most likely go into hiding," said Seiyruu. "It would be better if we pursued them at a measured pace and suppressed our reiatsu as much as possible."

"Tch I don't like the idea one bit, but if the rest of you all want to do so I suppose I'll go along with it," said Suzaku. The fiery red hair gnashed his teeth in frustration. He disliked having to listen to the advice of anyone, even his comrades. The four Royal Guards stopped flash stepping and instead resorted to running across the countryside at their maximum physical speed.

* * *

Several hours later, Ichigo and his nakama arrived at the base of Mount Fuji. The immense cone shaped mountain towered above the country side, its snow capped peak partially obscured by low lying clouds. Due to its nature as a solitary mountain rising directly from the plains, the mountain's already formidable height of over twelve thousand feet seemed even more immense. On the mountain's northern side lay three sizeable lakes that seemed like mere ponds compared to the mountain's massive footprint.

"Wow, so this is what Mount Fuji really looks like. It's so huge!" exclaimed Orihime.

"Yeah, I've never seen a mountain this high before," said Chad.

"I feel an immense spiritual presence coming from the mountain." said Rukia. Her face was sweating from the sheer amount of reiatsu she was sensing. Ichigo and Renji were also worried.

"Man, whatever's emitting that reiatsu must be stronger than the Sotaicho," said Renji. "If we can feel it from all the way out here."

"There's something strange about the reiatsu though. It doesn't feel like it belongs to a Shinigami. It feels like it's coming from the mountain itself, as if the mountain is alive," said Ichigo.

"I'm not surprised about the comments you Shinigami are making," said Ishida. "There have always been legends about the spirits that supposedly dwell underneath Mount Fuji. I am guessing they stem from the fact that Mount Fuji is the most powerful volcano in all of Japan." Ichigo, Chad and Orihime were all surprised by Ishida's tidbit.

"Huh, Mount Fuji is a volcano? I never knew that," said Orihime.

"Its last eruption was about three hundred years ago. I've heard some geologists say another major eruption of Mount Fuji is imminent." Just then, Rukia's Danreishinki started beeping.

"Ichigo I'm picking a huge amount of spiritual pressures to our north! Two large groups of spiritual pressures in fact! They're heading towards the mountain's northern face!" exclaimed Rukia.

"It must be my father's group and the Shitenno. We'd better follow them," said Ichigo. The group headed north, skirting the base of Mount Fuji. Due to their need to keep their reiatsu suppressed they had to resort to running on the ground instead of flash stepping through the air. Because of this, none of them noticed the huge forest to the north until they accidentally stumbled into it. Within moments the entire group found themselves in dense woodland filled with numerous trees bunched together, such that their canopies completely blotted out the sunlight. The absence of light, combined with the rough uneven ground made out of hard volcanic rock, gave the entire forest an ominous feeling.

"What, what is this place? I'm scared Ishida-kun," said Orihime.

"Crap, I should have realized it sooner!" swore Ishida. "We've stumbled into the Aokigahara, the evil forest of spirits that surrounds the northern base of Mount Fuji. This is one of the worst possible places for us to be in."

"What do you mean by that Ishida?" asked Ichigo. The answer became clear when they suddenly heard a chorus of dreadful wails in the distance.

"Holy crap what were those sounds?" asked Renji.

"They are the cries of tormented ghosts Abarai," said Ishida in a comically serious fashion. "Ichigo, I'm sensing a huge number of spiritual pressures surrounding us!" exclaimed Rukia.

"Draw your weapons everyone!" shouted Ichigo. The three Shinigami unsheathed their Zanpakutos, Ishida summoned his bow, and Chad summoned his armoured right arm. Ichigo's orders proved wise, for a few seconds later the group was suddenly assailed by hundreds of creepy looking spirits. Most of them resembled ordinary human ghosts, except that the lower half of their bodies was attached to the branches of a tree.

"What are these things?" asked Orihime.

"They look like Jibakurei, earth bound spirits who cannot pass on because they regret leaving something behind," said Rukia.

"So they're like the demi-hollow chained up to the abandoned hospital I fought once," said Ichigo. Rukia nodded. Both of them were aware of the risks these spirits had of turning into hollows.

"Why are there so many of them in this forest?" asked Renji.

"It's because this forest is the number one suicide spot in all of Japan. Hundreds of thousands of people have committed suicide under the branches of the trees in these forests. Heartbroken lovers, devastated salary men, elderly people stricken by terminal illness, all of them come here to die. It would surprise me if they all left behind souls who cannot bear to pass out of shame." Ishida's words made light of the awful cacophony of cries they were hearing, from shouts of "save me, save me!" to "my life is ruined!" Though the spirits couldn't actually harm Ichigo or his nakama, they were still becoming unbearable for all of them.

"I've had enough of these spirits. Let's get the hell out of this forest!" shouted Ichigo. The six of them jumped into the air above the forest's canopy and started flash stepping across the tree tops, ignoring the risk that their spiritual pressures would be detected.

"Ichigo, Aizen's reiatsu has disappeared under the mountain!" exclaimed Rukia.

"Looks like my father's group has uncovered a secret entrance. Let's follow them," said Ichigo. They followed the trail of reiatsu up the northern slopes of Mount Fuji until they spotted a small man-made hole about a thousand metres above the base of the mountain.

"This must be the entrance to an underground passage," said Ishida.

"There's a remnant of several different spiritual pressures around this entrance," said Rukia.

"I'm guessing my father's group and the Shitenno both entered through this hole," said Ichigo. "Alright let's head down there!" He and his friends started walking down the narrow passage. The going was smooth at first as the passage slowly descended towards the base of the mountain but after they reached what appeared to the cone-shaped center of the mountain the path became a long flight of narrow and quite steep steps that winded around the cone like a circular staircase.

After about two thousand steps the staircase finally bottomed out and the group found themselves walking much wider passage. They walked the path for a while until the path suddenly branched out into three separate passages that all appeared to lead in the same direction.

"Crap, three separate paths. Which one should we take Ichigo?" asked Renji.

"Why don't we split up and go down each of the passages?" suggested Rukia.

"No, we have to stick together. Remember what happened when we infiltrated Las Noches?" Ichigo reminded his friends. "If we split up we'll either get lost or even die if we stumble into those Royal Guards. Divided we may be weak, but united we are strong!"

"We get it Kurosaki. Let's just pick a passage and head down it," said Ishida. Ichigo thought the passage on the right looked the safest, and so he led his friends down it. The passage soon turned into a winding staircase descended further downwards for about another five hundred steps until it landed at another straight path. They walked down the path for some distance before they stumbled into another staircase that led upwards, much to their frustration. As they advanced up the staircase the entire group started a huge amount of spiritual pressures above them. The presences became more intense the higher up they want.

"I think we're close to your father Ichigo. My Danreishinki is going off the charts with Aizen's spiritual pressure!" exclaimed Rukia. Ichigo's heart raced at Rukia' news. _Finally, I've tracked you down father_. He and his friends quickened their pace up the staircase. After another hundred steps the group finally reached the top of the staircase. They found themselves staring at an immense underground chamber, with walls over a hundred metres high and stretching for about a kilometer in all directions.

"This cave looks like it's man made," said Chad. After a moment of looking around Ichigo spotted two groups of people staring at each other about a hundred metres to their north. He recognised them instantly, especially one man wearing a black Shihakusho and a tattered haori over his shoulder.

"Dad!" shouted Ichigo as he ran forwards. His sound reverberated throughout the chamber, causing the other figures to turn their heads instantly.

"Ichigo! What are you doing here?" asked Isshin in dismay. "I told you not to come after me!" The Shitenno were equally shocked, with the red haired Royal Guard Suzaku absolutely furious.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, how the fuck did you and your friends escape our grasp?" asked Suzaku. "Genbu, I thought your barrier was flawless!"

"It is Suzaku-sama. No Shinigami has the power to break it," said Genbu.

"Someone obviously did! It's your fault you didn't place a second barrier on top for insurance!"

"Now, now Suzaku, don't blame Genbu for your incompetence," said Seiyruu. The Shitenno started bickering amongst themselves, giving Ichigo and his friends the chance to catch up to Isshin's group.

"This time there's no escaping from me father," said Ichigo, panting heavily.

"Why Ichigo, why did you follow me? I told you not to come after me," said Isshin in disappointment. His shook his head at his son and sighed.

"I couldn't just let you leave like that. I needed to find out what motivated you to leave me, Yuzu and Karin for all of those years, and why you suddenly broke Aizen out of prison."

"I thought you were smarter than this Ichigo," said Urahara. "We told you to stay out of your father's affairs in order to protect you and your friends. But instead of listening to us you've followed us all the way into the lion's den."

"Why are you gentleman so disheartened by the young lad's appearance?" asked Aizen. "You should have known that Kurosaki Ichigo would follow his father and mentor to the ends of the earth if he had to. Besides, I think it is fate that has brought all of us here." Just then an ominous voice filled the entire chamber.

"Fate has nothing to do with it my son." The voice sounded familiar yet otherworldly. The three groups looked to their north, and saw a figure walking towards them. Everyone was thunderstruck at the man's appearance. He was a tall, decrepit looking man wearing a set of tattered rags that barely resembled the Shihakushos of a Royal Guard in appearance. His face was full of wrinkles, but to Ichigo there appeared to be something familiar about his appearance. His hair was dull silver in colour, with a single strand of hair that hung down the middle of his face, while the rest of his hair extended down to the man's waist. What struck Ichigo the most about the man however was his eyes; the irises were white in colour, surrounded by purple sclera. Of all the people who were present, the one who was most shocked at the man's appearance was Isshin. He looked as if he had seen a ghost come back to life to haunt him.

"Impossible, how can you still be alive, Tsukuyomi?" asked Isshin. The Shitenno were stunned back Isshin's statement.

"What, that man is Prince Tsukuyomi-dono?" asked Suzaku.

"I thought he was killed by Isshin…" said Byakko. Ichigo and his friends were confused at what they hearing and seeing. All they could do was to watch the scene unfold around them. The only person who did not look surprised or confused at the man's appearance was Aizen. His face was contorted into a smug grin, almost matching the same smile the other man wore on his face.

"Why the long face Isshin-san? Are you so surprised to see an old friend?" asked the man called Tsukuyomi. "And please, do not call me Tsukuyomi. I do not like being called that name. I, Lord Azrael, welcome all of you guests to my private chamber; Shinigami, Quincies, humans, and…" the man suddenly turned his glance towards Aizen. "…my son, Sousuke-kun."  
"Hello there, father," said Aizen. The others gasped in shock.

* * *

Comments:

At last, the main antagonist of the Royal Guard arc is revealed. The next chapter will show why Azrael aka Prince Tsukuyomi is the ultimate villain of the entire Bleach manga. In terms of preliminary notes, I would say that Azrael is my attempt of creating a villain who is even more powerful and omniscient than Aizen is.

*Hitsugaya Seiyruu: As mentioned in previous chapters, Seiyruu is named after the Azure Dragon of the Four Heavenly Saint Beasts. His relation to Hitsugaya will be revealed in a future chapter.

*Mount Fuji: I picked Mount Fuji as the final destination for the confrontration between the three groups due to its geological and spiritual significance.

*Aokigahara(青木ヶ原: "sea of trees"): This is actually a real forest located at the north-western base of Mount Fuji. Its real world significance as the number one place for suicides in Japan made it a perfect location for a haunted forst of ghosts for the heroes to run through.


	51. Chapter 51: Dark Revelations

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

*I aplogize for the longer period between updates. This chapter and the two chapters after this one all took longer than I expected to write. I thank everyone who sent me reviews of the previous chapter and Navek, Renji55 and Shadowknight for their PMs.

This is the chapter everyone has been waiting for. The 9 chapters of the Royal Guard Arc so far have building up to this moment. I hope you all enjoy it!

* * *

Chapter 51: Dark Revelations

"Huh, that guy is Aizen's father?" asked Ichigo. His thoughts were shared by the rest of his nakama; all of them were confused and bewildered at what they had been hearing so far. They could only watch and listen to the talk between the powerful individuals that were standing around them.

"I had a feeling that Aizen had this kind of background, but I never would have imagined his father would be a guy like him," said Urahara.

"That Azrael guy does resemble Aizen a lot; his hair has the same strand hanging over his face," said Yoruichi. The two of them watched as the four Shitenno went before the man called Azrael and got down on their knees.

"Tsukuyomi-sama, we are relieved to see you alive," said Suzaku. "We have faithfully carried out the legacy you left behind."

"I am pleased to hear that, my faithful Shitenno," said Azrael. "I thank you all for remaining loyal to me despite my long absence." The four Royal Guards stood up, bowed to their master and then proceeded to stand behind Azrael. The others all watched this morbid ceremony with a mixture of curiously and astonishment. The Shitenno's display of loyalty was followed by Aizen walking up to Azrael and kissing his right hand.

"I have been longing to meet you father," said Aizen.

"You have done well Sousuke-kun," said Azrael. "I could not have asked for a better servant to carry out my plans." Aizen stood up and walked behind his father. As he did so he gave Urahara and Yoruichi a smug grin.

"Curse that Aizen! I should have known he would betray us!" swore Yoruichi.

"Let's just wait and see what happens before we make any judgments Yoruichi-san," said Urahara. The two of them, along with Ichigo and his nakama, were all merely spectators for the real confrontation that was about to take place, between Isshin and Ryuken and the man called Azrael. Isshin in particular was still recovering from his shock of seeing his greatest enemy still alive and well.

"Tsukuyomi, how the heck did you survive our meeting in the Dangai? I thought for sure I had killed you," said Isshin. The former Royal Guard cast his mind back to 'that' day in the King's Realm…

* * *

_"What, what the hell happened?" The novice Royal Guard, Shiba Isshin, had broke into the Royal Family's private living quarters after hearing shouts and cries of distress. The moment he entered he found himself staring at a scene of utter carnage and despair. Countless bodies were lying on the ground. There was blood and entrails everywhere, across the floor, on the walls, and even splattering onto the ceiling. Isshin did his best to reign his revulsion at the horrible scene he was witnessing. He went around inspecting each body. All of them were lifeless. Their throats had been cut, their hearts had been pierced, and some of their limbs had been hacked off. _

_ "I don't believe it. Every one of them is dead…" said Isshin. He wondered who could have possibly done this, but then another more pressing question came to his mind: how was he to inform his fellow Royal Guards about this? As Isshin walked to the other end of the living quarters, he heard something miraculous: the staggered, wheezing coughs of someone who was still alive. Isshin quickly went to the source of the coughs and found to his amazement the body of Prince Susano-o, slumped against the wall next to his bed. There were terrible wounds all over his body, but unlike the others he not been pierced in a vital spot._

_ "Shinno!" shouted Isshin. "Susano-o Shinno!" He cradled the prince in his arms and placed him onto his bed. Susano-o opened his eyes and stared at Isshin. _

_ "Ah, Isshin-kun, you have come at an opportune time," said Susano-o in a hoarse voice. It was followed by another wheezing cough._

_ "Shinno, who did this? Who killed everyone here and left you like this?" Isshin waited calmly for his prince's response. He could tell that Susano-o's life force was getting weaker._

_ "It was…my brother." Susano-o's words were barely audible but they were enough to cause terror and despair in Isshin's heart. _

_ "You mean Tsukuyomi Shinno? I, I don't believe it!" Isshin suddenly felt Susano-o grip his right arm tightly._

_ "I have…one request for you Isshin-kun. You're the only one who can do it."_

_ "I'm listening Shinno." Isshin bent down until his face was within an arm's length of Susano-o's face._

_ "Please save…my beloved Amaterasu. She is still alive. My brother has kidnapped her."_

_ "What, Amaterasu-Ojou was kidnapped by Tsukuyomi Shinno?" asked Isshin in disbelief. "Where are they now?" _

_ "My brother told me he was heading to the Meridian Gate. He was going to open a Senkaimon, whether to Soul Society or the human world. Please, stop him before he escapes."_

_ "I will Shinno. I will bring Amaterasu Ojou back safely and punish your brother for his nefarious deeds." Isshin left the wounded Prince Susano-o on his bed and rushed out of the Royal ensuite. He was spotted by two of his fellow Royal Guards who gave a shout, but he ignored them. The only thing on his mind was getting to the Meridian Gate as fast he could. With a supernatural burst of speed he covered the several kilometers from the living quarters to the gate within a matter of seconds. When he reached the gate he saw the horrifying spectacle of the beautiful Princess Amaterasu being dragged by her sparkling orange hair by the bloodied figure of Prince Tsukuyomi. _

_ "Wait Tsukuyomi Shinno!" shouted Isshin. He ran towards them as fast as he could. The prince saw him coming and instantly opened a portal to the Dangai. He dragged the kicking and screaming princess through the portal. When Amaterasu saw Isshin she shouted out "Isshin-kun!"_

_ "Ojou!" Without a moment's thought Isshin leaped through the portal before it closed upon him. He found himself in the netherworld realm of Dangai, the precipice dimension between Soul Society and the real world. He looked ahead and saw that Prince Tsukuyomi and the princess were only a few metres in front of him. He stood up, unsheathed his sword and charged after them._

_ "Hand the Ojou back Tsukuyomi Shinno!" shouted Isshin. When the prince saw him coming he suddenly turned around and grabbed Amaterasu around her neck. He pointed a sharp knife at her throat._

_ "Don't move Shiba Isshin! One wrong step I will slash Amaterasu's throat the same way I did the rest of my rotten family!" shouted Tsukuyomi. The prince's threat caused Isshin to halt in his tracks._

_ "Why did you do it Shinno? Why did you kill all of your family except for your brother?" asked Isshin. Tsukuyomi laughed at Isshin's questions._

_ "Come on, the answer should be obvious! I hated and despised my family! I hated them for not giving me the love and affection I deserve! My useless pathetic brother was always the darling of the family; he was the one who got all the praise! I never understood why that was so. I'm far more powerful than my brother; I possess the greatest transcendental powers any member of the Royal Family has ever possessed! It should have been me who was chosen to be the new Reioh!" The prince continued to rant for several more minutes. As he did so, Isshin finally understood the motivation behind the slaughter._

_ "So, you were jealous and resentful of the fact your brother was picked to be the heir to the Spirit Throne ahead of you. And in order to spite him you killed all of your family, including the Reioh himself, but left your brother alive. And as a last act of revenge you kidnapped Amaterasu Ojou, who was betrothed to your brother. Am I correct in all of this Tsukuyomi Shinno?" asked Isshin._

_ "What does it mean to you? Why are you so concerned with my sister or my family? You're just a lowly Royal Guard! You should know your place!"_

_ "The Reioh assigned me the duty to protect Amaterasu Ojou. I will do so even if it means sacrificing my life for her. What is your goal of kidnapping her? You've already killed every single member of your family."_

_ "If it's to win my affection Tsukuyomi Nii-san, then kidnapping me was pointless," said Amaterasu. "My heart belongs to Susano-o-sama, always and forever." Amaterasu's words caused Tsukuyomi to snap. In a fit of rage the prince brandished his knife and slashed his sister in law's throat. Then he threw Amaterasu at Isshin._

_ "OJOU!" shouted Isshin. He cradled the princess in his arms. _

_ "Isshin-kun…I'm sorry," said Amaterasu weakly. Tears were streaming from her eyes as a torrent of blood was flowing out of the gash in her throat. A moment later her eyes went vacant and rolled up into her head. Rage and anger suddenly filled Isshin's heart._

_ "TSUKUYOMI!" Isshin brandished his Zanpakuto at the prince, who was now laughing madly._

_ "Ha, ha, ha, what will you do now Shiba Isshin? By following me here, you have effectively burdened yourself with my family's deaths! As for I, I intend to escape into the past and rewrite history so that I will be the Reioh! You can't possibly stop me now!"_

_ "Oh yes I can." With murderous intent in his eyes Isshin suddenly activated his most powerful form without hesitation. By merging with his Zanpakuto _Engetsu_, he transformed into his Keshin state. His entire body was now shimmering with golden spirit energy._

_ "I shall reduce you to nothingness with my _Saigo No Getsuga Tensho_," said Isshin. He summoned a sword made of pure reiatsu in his hands and raised it above his head. As he did so, he heard the sounds of an oncoming Kototsu train that had detected them._

_ "Mugetsu!" shouted Isshin. He brought the blade down upon Tsukuyomi, unleashing an immense torrent of spirit energy that slammed into the prince._

_ "NO THIS CAN'T END LIKE THIS!" screamed Tsukuyomi as his body was tarn in half by the attack. A second later the two halves of his body were hit by the Kototsu and smashed to pieces._

_ "Oh shit!" swore Isshin as he saw the Kototsu thunder towards him. He hastily picked up Amaterasu and tried desperately to outrun the train. It was no use. The Kototsu slammed into both of them, causing Isshin to release his grip on Amaterasu. The two of them were sent flung into the depths of the Dangai, and were lost to the streams of time._

_ "OJOU!" shouted Isshin as his body was swept up by the currents of time. When he regained consciousness, he found himself in the human world, lying on a street in the middle of a town. _

_ "Where…am I?" he asked himself. It took him a while to realize he had lost all of his Shinigami powers; he was now dressed in the plain white kimono of an ordinary soul. At this moment, he saw a strange person walking towards him: a man dressed in a green jacket with a baggy striped hat, wearing sandals on his feet, and carrying a cane in his right hand._

_ "Hello there!" shouted the stranger. "Do you need some help?" That was the moment Isshin met Urahara Kisuke, the man who saved his life…_

* * *

"It was by sheer luck that I somehow survived being flung through the streams of time when I was hit by the Kototsu," said Isshin. "Even then the ordeal caused me to lose all of my spiritual powers. So how in the world did you manage to survive Tsukuyomi? My _Mugetsu_ carved you into pieces and the Kototsu then smashed the rest of your body in oblivion. There's no way you could have survived that."

Isshin's retelling of the massacre of the Royal Family and the confrontation in the Dangai shocked and astounded everyone. Of all the people present, only Azrael himself knew that everything Isshin had said was true.

"You're a liar Shiba Isshin! You massacred the Royal Family! We saw you run out of the private chambers with blood on your hands!" shouted Suzaku. Isshin was about to protest but to everyone's surprise it was Azrael himself who calmed Suzaku down.

"Everyone Isshin-san has said is true, Suzaku-kun," said Azrael. "I bear no shame in admitting it. It was mightily convenient for me however, that Isshin-san took the blame for my actions. I have watched with glee how the carelessness of a single man caused the downfall of a once great noble family." At this point Azrael burst out in a fit of manic laughter.

"You haven't answered my question yet Tsukuyomi! Just how did you end up surviving my attack? I thought for sure I killed you," said a furious Isshin.

"Oh, you certainly killed me alright," said Azrael with a smug grin. "Thanks to the Kototsu, my soul was sent back to 14th century Japan, where I was reincarnated as a common bandit. Despite being reduced to the status of a low life human, I retained all the memories of my previous life, and thus all of my hatred for the Royal Family and you, Shiba Isshin. I realized I had landed myself in the perfect situation; I had the opportunity to influence the course of history to my desires!" Azrael started laughing madly, an act which served to anger Isshin more.

"Of course, I had to free myself from my mortal constraints and regain the power I once had first. I embarked on a string of string of atrocities throughout Japan, murdering daimyo, samurai and peasants alike. My name soon became feared throughout the country! It took the Shogun's entire army to give me the death I desired! In freeing myself from my body of flesh, my soul transformed into a hollow of immense power and a hunger for human souls. My rampage on the humans continued, and this time I was not stopped until your grandfather Shiba Mamoru, the greatest ever head of the Shiba clan, came down from Soul Society and slayed me personally.

"Because of the sins I committed as a human, I was immediately sent to the depths of Jigoku, where my soul endured unimaginable torment. Unlike the other lost souls, I kept my sanity and survived the depths of hell, until I somehow found a way to escape my confinement! I broke into King Enma's palace and stole his personal guards, the Doomwalkers, and bent them to my will. With these powerful demons at my command, I escaped from Jigoku, the first soul to ever do so! Through this act I achieved a level of power and enlightenment that can truly be called Nirvana!"

Azrael's revelations stunned Ichigo and his nakama. None of them could believe what they were hearing. Urahara and Yoruichi were equally shocked.

"I don't believe it. That guy escaped from hell?" asked Ichigo.

"I thought the chains of sinners were unbreakable," said Rukia.

"So the Doomwalkers were the personal guards of King Enma himself," said Urahara. "For someone to overpower the will of the King of Hell is simply unbelievable." The only person who was not surprised by what Azrael had said so far was Isshin.

"I suspected something like this happened when I heard about the Doomwalker's attack on Soul Society," said Isshin. "So then, what happened after you escaped from hell? Did you loiter around in the human world for the next six hundred years?"

"What do you think Shiba Isshin? Surely you do not think a man of my intellect would have remained idle? With my new found powers I began formulating a plan to bring the Soul Society and the King's Realm to its knees. My first experiments involved manipulating human history on a large scale, first starting with Japan, then the whole wide. I was responsible for the Onin War that ushered in the Sengoku Jidai. I caused the nations of Europe to fight amongst each other for over four hundred years, leading to the great World Wars of the 20th century. And, I am the one responsible for the extinction of the Quincies."

"Impossible!" shouted Ryuken in dismay when he heard Azrael's last statement. "You brought about the Quincy Wars that led to the fall of our race?"  
"Are you surprised Ishida Ryuken? Your species as a whole was surprisingly easy to manipulate, especially the heart and mind of your ancestor Siegfried. As the most powerful Quincy who ever lived, he had a pure heart that was devoted to justice. That made him all too susceptible to corruption. It did not take much for me to convince him that Quincies were better than Shinigami at protecting the human world. He was soon filled with a manic desire to exterminate every single hollow in existence. With the help of my powers and his own charisma he convinced hundreds of thousands of his race to join him on the greatest crusade ever. Naturally, Soul Society was alerted to this disturbance in the real world and sent groups of Shinigami to negotiate with the Quincies. Of course, the negotiations broke down, the Shinigami mediators were killed, thus triggering outright war between the two races."

Both Ishida and his father Ryuken remembered the events that transpired during the Quincy Wars, of the horrible massacres and atrocities that were committed from both sides. They also remembered the stories of the madness of their ancestor Siegfried, and the forging of a powerful weapon from the souls of millions of hollows.

"In the end Siegfried was defeated, and the Quincies as a race were largely exterminated. But the war had served a useful purpose in destabilizing the balance between the dimensions, and in greatly reducing the strength of the Gotei 13. The chaos caused by the war gave me the opportunity to forge my greatest experiment, the weapon I would use to carry out my revenge against Soul Society." At this point all of the eyes around Azrael looked at Aizen, who seemed to react to his master's revelations with indifference.

"Yes, I created Sousuke-kun to be the instrument of my revenge. I fashioned him from my own flesh and blood and planted within him memories that were partially my own and partially imaginary. I guided his thoughts and watched as he matured into a Shinigami of unparalleled power. By the time he joined the Gotei 13 I judged him ready to carry out the overt elements of my plan. His first task was to bring all of the senior officers of the Gotei 13 and the Central 46 under an hypnosis, thanks to the power of his Zanpakuto Kyoka Suigetsu. This was accomplished with relative ease. Then I had him steadily work his way up the ranks until he himself became a captain. Along the way he was about to lure two promising henchmen, Tousen Kaname and Ichimaru Gin, to his side. The two assisted Sousuke greatly in secretly taking over Hueco Mundo and beginning the process of building a hollow army strong enough to rival the Gotei 13. But the greatest project I assisted Sousuke in accomplishing was forging the conduit for my powers." Isshin, Urahara and Ichigo reacted with concern at Azrael's last words.

"The conduit for your powers?" asked Isshin in confusion. A second later he gasped in horror when it dawned upon him what Azrael was speaking about. Urahara was also similarly shocked.

"Judging by the look on your face I am guessing you know what I am referring to: the Hougyoku, the breakdown sphere! With this stone, I could finally transfer my powers directly Sousuke, thus giving him the weapon he needed to overthrow Soul Society. Unfortunately the completing the Hougyoku proved harder than Sousuke or I expected. As the stone contained a direct replica of the powers that I, a member of the Royal Family with the blood of the Reioh running through me, possessed, it required an enormous amount of spiritual energy in order for Sousuke to bring it under control. He went to great lengths to obtain the spiritual energy of hundreds of thousands of souls in Rukongai and Seireitei, but still the Hougyoku was inherently unstable. I figured that the stone was incomplete; after all, I only inherited half of the Reioh's powers, the powers of darkness and destruction. Only the powers my brother Susano-o possessed, the powers of light and creation, would be sufficient to bring the Hougyoku into balance.

"Fortunately, I discovered, thanks to one of the Sousuke's experiments involving the hollowfication of a number of high ranking Shinigami, of the existence of a second Hougyoku, which contained the same powers I was searching for."

Urahara's eyes widened in astonishment when he heard Azrael's last statement. The sinister old man looked at him and smiled evilly.

"Yes, I knew about your experiments Urahara Kisuke. Sousuke-kun may not been aware of it at the time but I knew that my brother Susano-o had imbued you with a portion of his powers."

"Is, is that true Kisuke? Were you really guided by the Spirit King?" asked Yoruichi.

"It's true…" said Urahara with a sigh. "Ever since I was a child I kept on hearing this strange voice in my head and every so often my mind would be filled with knowledge about the universe that no mortal would have possessed."

"It makes sense. You invented devices and techniques that no one in Soul Society's history had ever seen before. Even your successor Mayuri couldn't match your accomplishments."

"You are quite correct Shihouin Yoruichi. Urahara Kisuke triggered a revolution in Soul Society that remains unprecedented to this day. Yet he is also responsible for creating the very tool Sousuke and I needed to complete our plans. I suspect that my brother Susano-o himself knew the object I was seeking, for he ordered you to hide it in someone. Am I right Urahara Kisuke?" Urahara went pale in the face. The genius scientist could not believe that this man Azrael knew so much about him.

"You hid the Hougyoku you created on my brother Susano-o's orders. And the hiding place you chose was none other than the reincarnation of my sister, Tsukino-chan," said Azrael triumphantly. This time the sinister old man stared at Rukia, who had been quietly observing the conversation. Now Rukia's heart fluttered with anxiety and beads of sweat flowed down her face. Just staring at the man called Azrael made her feel sick to the very core of her being.

"No, it can't be…" stuttered Rukia. "You, you are my real brother?" Ichigo and Renji gasped in shock.

"That can't be right! Rukia's brother is my captain Kuchiki Byakuya!" exclaimed Renji.

"Is it true Rukia? Is this man really the brother of your previous self?" asked Ichigo.

"I…I don't know!" screamed Rukia in distress. Her mind was now really with confused thoughts and images.

"It appears that you still don't remember your true identity Kuchiki Rukia. Never mind. You will recall it all eventually. What is more important is why Urahara Kisuke hid the Hougyoku inside you," said Azrael. "Only a being with the blood of the Reioh running inside of them could contain the immense power of the Hougyoku with having their souls broken down in an instant. Urahara Kisuke, guided by the mind of my brother Susano-o, was able to track you down while you in Rukongai, and placed the Hougyoku inside of you."

The anxious look on Urahara's face told everyone that what Azrael had said was true.

"To be fair, neither Sousuke nor I were aware of this fact until much later on. By the time we discovered that the Hougyoku was inside of you, you had already come under the protection of the Kuchiki family. It would have been impossible for Sousuke to extract the Hougyoku from you while you were in Soul Society. However, fate soon smiled upon me when I made a startling discovery. I sensed your arrival in the real world Shiba Isshin, and knew that you had befriended Urahara Kisuke. But I never expected that you would come across the reincarnation of Amaterasu."

"DAMN YOU TSUKUYOMI!" shouted Isshin in utter dismay. Ichigo was shocked at his father's sudden outburst, but when he realized what Azrael was referring to, he too found it too awful to contemplate.

"Ha, ha, ha, I like the expression on your face Isshin-san," laughed Azrael. "How does it feel to know that your mortal enemy was not only still alive but monitoring the blossoming relationship you had with my sister in law's reincarnation? Oh yes, her name was Masaki wasn't she? You took on her surname when you married her. And the love the two of you had eventually produced a son, a boy who represented the union of the two most powerful bloodlines in all of Soul Society, the ancient noble house of Shiba and the main branch of the Royal Family."

Now it was Ichigo's turn to start shaking in despair. He felt the decrepit old man's gaze turn upon him, his eyes piercing into the depths of his soul.

"Yes, I knew about your birth Kurosaki Ichigo, and I soon made Sousuke aware of this fact as well. I sensed you would be a threat to my plans, so I had him arrange for you to be killed by a hollow," said Azrael. "Alas, the attempt did not go off as expected. Amaterasu's reincarnation chose to sacrifice her life to protect her son. In the process your spiritual powers were fully manifested. Rather than attempt to kill you again, I saw the potential to use you in a way that would benefit me. As you also possessed the bloodline of the Reioh, there was at last an opportunity for me to awaken the Hougyoku that lay dormant inside Tsukino-chan's reincarnation."

Rukia gasped in shock again, when she realized what Azrael was alluding to. _No way, does this mean my first meeting with Ichigo had been planned by this man and Aizen all along?_ She collapsed onto her knees in despair. Ichigo bent down to comfort her; he was aware of what Azrael was speaking of. Aizen himself had told him about this some seven years ago at the Fake Karakura Town. Azrael smiled smugly at both Ichigo and Rukia.

"It appears the two of you know what I am speaking of. I ordered Sousuke to send Kuchiki Rukia to the real world and arranged for her to meet Kurosaki Ichigo. Their encounter had the effect of triggering the power of the Hougyoku that was sleeping inside of her. Both Sousuke and I sensed the time had arrived to execute the final stages of our plan. I had Sousuke arrange for Kuchiki Rukia to be executed, using as a pretext her crime of transferring her powers to a human. The execution did not proceed as we had planned, but thanks to Sousuke's own initiatives we nevertheless succeeded in extracting the Hougyoku from Kuchiki Rukia's body.

"With the two incomplete Hougyokus in his possession, Sousuke proceeded to fuse them together to form a perfect Hougyoku. The power of the new stone enabled him to finish assembling his army of Arrancars. The stage was set for Sousuke to execute the final stage in my master plan: the creation of the Ouken. I had him engineer a plan involving the kidnapping of the human Inoue Orihime, which would cause the Gotei 13 to prematurely trigger their war against Sousuke's forces. Sousuke then led his army against the jureichi of the real world Karakura Town in order to create the Ouken according to the instructions I had him research in the Daireishokairo.

"The ensuring war…had an outcome I did not expect. At the cusp of our victory Sousuke and I were thwarted by Kurosaki Ichigo, Urahara Kisuke, and my greatest nemesis, Shiba Isshin. But I had only suffered a setback. I had waited hundreds of years for my revenge, I could wait a little longer. Fortunately I did not have to wait long for another opportunity to arrive. A scant year after Sousuke's defeat his Zanpakuto Kyoka Suigetsu came to visit me."

At this point, even Aizen started to become distressed at what he was hearing, much to the amusement of Ichigo, Isshin and Urahara.

"You planned something with my Zanpakuto behind my back father?" asked Aizen angrily.

"I apologize for keeping you in the dark Sousuke, but as you had been sealed away in a chamber made out of Sekki-seki, I was unable to contact you," said Azrael. "Do not worry, your beloved Zanpakuto did not betray you at all. Her love and affection for you was what enabled me to carry out my new plan. Having seen the failure of my previous plan, I decided that I had to take a more direct hand in affairs, and so I sent one of my Doomwalkers to attack Seireitei. The incident not only caused a shake-up in the leadership of the Gotei 13, but it also motivated you to look for me Shiba Isshin. That was your fatal error, for it left your son defenceless."

Isshin gnashed his teeth at Azrael's taunt, for he was aware of how much he had failed by leaving Ichigo and his two daughters to fend for themselves.

"With no one protecting him, Kurosaki Ichigo easily fell prey to a hollow and be sent to Rukongai as an ordinary soul. I had Kyoka Suigetsu monitor his progress as he regained his Shinigami powers. When Kurosaki Ichigo had made sufficient progress I proceeded to have Kyoka Suigetsu carry out the tasks I had assigned to her. She succeeded beyond my wildest dreams. Not only was Soul Society was thrown into disarray by the prisoner uprising, but through her I was finally able to discover the location of the true Ouken. Furthermore, in defeat Kyoka Suigetsu alerted the King's Realm to the fact that intruders were able to breach into the Heart of Seireitei. It prompted the Royal Guard to start monitoring the affairs of the Gotei 13."

Suzaku and the rest of the Shitenno were stunned by what their master had just said.

"Why didn't you tell us you were behind it all Tsukuyomi-sama?" asked Suzaku.

"I am sorry Suzaku-kun, but I could not afford to let my existence known to you until the time was right. Besides, they say ignorance is bliss. If you knew I was alive, you and your fellow Shitenno would have been less willing to persuade that fool Hideyoshi to meddle in the affairs of Soul Society."

"Mmm you are right Tsukuyomi-sama, without Suzaku's zealous attitude we would never have been given the opportunity to find you," said Byakko. Azrael smiled and proceeded to hug each of the Shitenno in turn.

"I thank you my servants for still staying loyal to me despite us having been separated across time and space," said Azrael. The traitorous prince then turned his attention to Isshin, Urahara and Ryuken. "At last the time for my revenge has come. Thanks to the Shitenno remaining loyal to me, half the Royal Guard has defected to my side. Because of Hideyoshi's intervention in the affairs of Soul Society, the Gotei 13 has been effectively disbanded, with all of its captains either in exile or imprisoned. Finally, the last two offspring of the Royal Family, the last scion of Siegfried Walsung, the servant of my brother Susano-o, and my greatest enemy have all gathered here on their own accord. Everything has proceeded according to my plans."

As Azrael finally finished his long winded rant, the hearts of Ichigo, his nakama, his father Isshin, Ryuken, Urahara and Yoruichi were all filled with despair and hopelessness. In the space of several minutes, everything they had known or believed to be true about themselves, about their own actions, and about the events they had experienced had been utterly smashed into oblivion by the revelation that their entire lives, indeed the entire history of Soul Society for the last five hundred years, had all been orchestrated by a single man. A man that had supposedly been forgotten by history and erased from existence. A man whose schemes made the level of foresight and planning Aizen had possessed pale in insignificance.

"How, how can we win against a guy like him?" asked Ichigo. His thoughts expressed the same feelings his nakama had at the very moment.

"Don't give in to despair Ichigo," said Isshin. Ichigo looked up and saw that his father had refused to succumb to utter despair. Instead there was a look of iron willed determination on his face. Ichigo noticed that Ryuken also had the same determination about him. It was as if Ichigo and Ishida's fathers had a belief and resolve in victory that was even stronger than their sons.

"We haven't lost yet Tsukuyomi," said Isshin. He unsheathed his Zanpakuto and gripped it tightly with both hands. "If we kill you here everything you have worked for over the past five hundred years will have been in vain. I've been chasing after your shadow all this time. Now I finally have the chance to put you down for good."

"I share the same thoughts as Isshin. By my own hand I will end the cursed legacy of my ancestor Siegfried by erasing you from existence," said Ryuken. The elder Quincy let a five sided pentacle cross dangle from his right hand and proceeded to summon a six foot long solid bow. The two fathers brandished their weapons at a grinning Azrael.

* * *

Comments:

*Shinno: The Japanese honorific for Prince of the Royal Family

*Shiba Mamoru: This figure was mentioned in the previous chapter as part of Rukia's nightmares about her past. He is Isshin's grandfather and the Royal Guard who was assinged to watch over Rukia's past incarnation Princess Tsukino. More information about his importance to the story will be revealed in later chapters.

*The Onin War: This was the civil war in Japan that took place from 1467 to 1477, when rival factions of warlords disputed over the right to be the next Shogun. The war marked the beginning of the Sengoku Jidai, the "Warring States" period in Japan.

*Siegfried Walsung: The ancestor of Ishida and Ryuken and the greatest Quincy who ever lived, first mentioned in Chapters 21-24. He was the instigator of the Quincy Wars that led to the massacre of most Quincies.


	52. Chapter 52: Death in the Family

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

*Thanks for all of the reviews I've received so far! As the title foreshadows, a dramatic, story shattering event happens at the event of this chapter. Which major character (or characters) will die? Read on and find out!

* * *

Chapter 52: Death in the Family

"My, my, do you two gentleman seriously intend to oppose me?" asked Azrael.

"What do you think Tsukuyomi? I wouldn't have gone to the lengths I did if I wasn't prepared to hunt you down," said Isshin. His aggressive posture caused Suzaku to be alarmed.

"How dare you point your blade at Tsukuyomi-sama!" shouted Suzaku. The fiery red head unsheathed his Zanpakuto and pointed it at Isshin. "I will kill you before you lay a hand on the prince!"

"Stand down Suzaku," said Azrael. "I am perfectly capable of dealing with Isshin-san by myself. I intend to dispose of him with my own hands. All you need to do is to ensure that our guests do not escape from this place."

"I understand Tsukuyomi-sama." Suzaku gnashed his teeth in frustration as he sheathed his sword. He and the other Shitenno flash split up to cover all of the exits from the chamber.

"Crap we're surrounded!" exclaimed Renji.

"Dad let me help you!" shouted Ichigo. He was about to unsheathe his sword when his father stopped him.

"No Ichigo! This is my fight. A father should not let his son do his dirty work," said Isshin. "Your main priority is to protect your nakama. Do not worry about my safety."

"The same with you Uryu," said Ryuken. "I can tell you were about to summon your bow. Your assistance will only hinder Isshin and me in this battle."

Ishida gnashed his teeth as he realized his father had read his mind.

"We should all take a step back," said Urahara. "We do not want to be caught up in the fight." Ichigo and his nakama followed Urahara and Yoruichi's office by flash stepping backwards some twenty metres until they were well clear of Isshin and Ryuken. The two fathers had a open space in which to confront their mortal enemy Azrael.

"Now then, shall we begin gentlemen? The stage and the audience are set," said Azrael.

"You haven't readied your sword yet Tsukuyomi," said Isshin.

"I do not need it at the moment. I am giving the two of you the chance to attack me while I am unarmed." Azrael still had an arrogant grin on his face.

"I'll be happy to take that chance!" exclaimed Isshin. The former Royal Guard charged at Azrael, bringing his blade down upon the corrupt prince. Azrael dodged the first strike as Isshin's swing demolished a section of the ground beneath their feet. Isshin followed up with a horizontal swing that Azrael dodged by jumping backwards. As Azrael landed ten metres backwards he was suddenly attacked by over a hundred spiritual arrows fired by Ryuken from his bow. Azrael dodged all hundred arrows by jumping to the side again. His fixation on Ryuken's attack gave Isshin an opening which he exploited. The former Royal Guard flash stepped into the air directly above Azrael.

"Take this, _Getsuga Tensho_!" shouted Isshin. He slashed downwards with his Zanpakuto, emitting a massive blue crescent shaped energy blast that travelled along the ground for fifty metres before slamming against the chamber's walls, demolishing a fifteen by three metre chunk of solid rock. To Isshin's surprise, not only had his attack not caused any damage upon Azrael, but the nefarious prince had actually caught his katana with the palm of his left hand.

"Did you think that level of attack would work on me Isshin?" asked Azrael. Isshin's eyes widened in surprise when Azrael summoned a three foot long blade in his hands and slashed across Isshin's waist. Isshin flash stepped backwards at the last moment to avoid being physically cut by the attack, but the air pressure from Azrael's blade still caused a large gash through his stomach. Blood spurted from the wound.

"Fuck, that was close!" swore Isshin. "One inch further and he would have cut me in half!"

Ryuken, seeing his friend was still recovering, fired another hundred arrows at Azrael but the prince easily dodged them all and flash stepped behind him.

"What is with your lousy aim, Heir of Siegfried?" asked Azrael. Ryuken tried desperately to put up a defence, but it was too late, for Azrael grabbed him by the throat, lifted him above his head and threw the Quincy towards Isshin's spot.

"Father!" cried Ishida as he saw his father's face grind against the ground for several metres before coming to a halt. Ryuken managed to get up, but his face was now covered in blood from a nasty abrasion on his forehead.

"Are you alright Ishida?" asked Isshin.

"Yeah, I'm still okay," said Ryuken. "His strength is ridiculous."

"I know. I never imagined he would be this strong," said Isshin. _He's far stronger than Aizen was in his normal form._

"How disappointing," Azrael chided his opponents. "I was expecting the two of you to give me more of a challenge. From my perspective you are nothing more than ants that I crush with but a whim, but even the humble ant is capable of astounding feats of strength when faced with adversity. It is the same with you two gentleman. Show me your true powers. I want to enjoy this battle before I put an end to your lives." If Isshin and Ryuken were offended by Azrael's taunts, they showed no signs of it on their faces.

"Tch, you talk too much Tsukuyomi, just like your son Aizen," said Isshin with a grin. "Come on Ishida, let's wipe that arrogant grin off his face!" Isshin stood up and gripped his Zanpakuto with both hands in front of his body.

"You could have used more tasteful words Kurosaki," said Ryuken with a smile. The elder Quincy reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a white glove etched with blue lines and symbols. His son Ishida recognised it instantly.

"That's the _Sanrei Shuto_!" exclaimed Ishida. "Father, you aren't thinking of putting that on are you?" Without responding to his son's question Ryuken de-summoned his bow for a brief moment and put the glove on his right hand.

"_Sanrei Shuto_ activate," said Ryuken. His hand, and then his entire body started glowing bright blue in colour, as the glove greatly enhanced his reishi gathering capability. When Ryuken summoned his bow again, it had changed shape. It now resembled a combination of a long bow and a crossbow, with two horizontal prongs extending outwards from the bow's main frame. Four spiritual strings came together at one point, allowing for much greater control and flexibility of the arrows the bow produced.

"That is a really nice bow you have there, Heir of Siegfried," said Azrael in a mocking tone.

"I appreciate the compliment. I shall repay the favour by peppering your body with arrows," said Ryuken.

"Hey, don't steal the spotlight from me Ishida! I haven't showed my true power yet!" exclaimed Isshin. He started building a tremendous amount of spiritual energy inside his body, visible as a glowing yellow aura surrounding him. Isshin then yelled out "BANKAI!" A huge explosion of spiritual pressure engulfed his body for a brief moment, followed by tons of smoke. When the smoke disappeared, Isshin emerged wearing an outfit that resembled Ichigo's Bankai robe in appearance, except it was gold in colour and embossed with the ornate symbols of the Shiba clan. His previously nondescript Zanpakuto was now a four foot long golden nodachi almost identical to Ichigo's Bankai sword except for the cross guard, which was circular in shape and depicted the Taoist Ying and Yang symbol. The hilt of the sword was partially merged with Isshin's right hand by a glove that extended up to his elbow.

"_Tensa Engetsu_," said Isshin. Everyone around him, including Azrael, Aizen and the Shitenno, were amazed by his transformation and the sheer amount of spiritual pressure he was emitting.

"This is dad's Bankai…" said Ichigo in awe. "It looks so much like mine."

"Wonderful Shiba Isshin. This is the power I was expecting!" laughed Azrael. The arrogant prince 's laughter was cut short when Isshin suddenly appeared right in front of him and slashed down with his Bankai sword. Azrael narrowly dodged the attack by jumping into the air but within seconds Isshin had caught up to him and landed a blow on his side. Then, in an amazing display of speed, Isshin flash stepped around Azrael multiple times, creating the illusion of dozens of illusory clones dancing around his opponent.

"Having a hard time keeping up? My Bankai compresses my reiatsu to a state where my speed and reactions are comparable to lightning," said Isshin. He intensified his speed further, to the point where he resembled a blur of yellow light to onlookers.

"Stop running around like that and fight me like a man Shiba Isshin!" shouted Azrael. Isshin promptly stopped flash stepping and attacked Azrael from the front, in a heavy blow the prince barely stopped with his own sword. As their swords were locked together, Isshin surprised Azrael by pointing his left hand at his face. Then, with a flick of his middle finger, Isshin sent Azrael flying backwards with the force of a rocket launcher. Azrael tried to slow down his flight using his own spiritual pressure but he still ended up slamming into the underground chamber's northern end, embedding his body in a wall.

A second later, five shining blue _Seele Schneider_ arrows surrounded Azrael in a pentacle shaped formation. The traitorous prince looked up and saw Ryuken pointing his bow at him.

"This is the end," said Ryuken. He fired a six _Seele Schneider_ from his bow that hit Azrael squarely in the chest. "_Sprenger: Sorfotig_." Before Azrael knew what had hit him, the six _Seele Schneiders_ detonated, causing a colossal explosion that completely demolished a two hundred metre section of the chamber's walls.

"Tsukuyomi-sama!" cried Suzaku. He and the other Shitenno rushed over to inspect their master. Isshin and Ryuken waited to see the result of their attack.

"Do you think that did him in?" asked Isshin.

"I am not sure. For some reason I have not been able to sense his reiatsu since the beginning of the fight, so I cannot tell if his energy his decreasing or not," said Ryuken.

"I seem to have the same problem, it's like we can't even feel his presence at all," said Isshin. The two of them watched as the Shitenno tried to extricate their master from the rubble.

"I told you not to interfere in the fight Suzaku," said Azrael.

"But you're hurt Tsukuyomi-sama," protested Suzaku.

"You call these bruises being hurt? Do not joke with me Suzaku. I do not need your help." Suzaku and the other Shitenno bowed before they returned to their former positions. Their master climbed out of the rubble and emerged from the smoke. Isshin and Ryuken were shocked that he was visibly unhurt apart from a few burns on his body and blood flowing from his mouth.

"Impressive Shiba Isshin," said Tsukuyomi as he wiped the blood from his mouth. "You are the first man in four hundred years to cause a wound on my current body. You have awakened the blood lust that has lain dormant inside of me. I shall reward the courage you and the Heir of Siegfried have shown by demonstrating to you the power that I, the only being to have truly transcended the boundaries of humans, hollows and Shinigami alike, have attained. A power that no ordinary spirit could possibly comprehend." Azrael allowed Isshin, Ryuken and the other guests a full glimpse of his sealed Zanpakuto. It became apparent that the blade was far more intricate than at first glance. There were ornate golden symbols etched into the middle of the blade, while the cross guard was in the shape of an eight-pointed star located inside a circle shaped like the sun.

"What the heck are you talking about Tsukuyomi?" asked Isshin.

"Do I need to spell it out for you? I will make it clear to you, I shall demonstrate to you the power of my Zanpakuto," said Azrael with a smug grin. He raised his sword above his head. "Incarnate, _Amatsu Shingetsu_." Isshin and Ryuken were puzzled when there was no visible changes in the sword's appearance or the status of Azrael's spiritual pressure. It was only when Azrael brought his sword down that the true nature of his Shikai was revealed.

"Behind you father!" shouted Ishida at his father, when he spotted the tip of a sword suddenly appear in the air behind Ryuken's body. It was too late for Ryuken to react; before he knew it, the blade had severed his left arm at the shoulder. A torrent of blood spurted out of the gaping hole that was only stopped when Ryuken hastily applied a styptic to the wound.

"Are you okay Ishida?" asked Isshin.

"I am fine. I was only caught off guard by that attack," said Ryuken. He re-summoned his bow again and fired a constant stream of over five thousand arrows, shouting out "_Blitzkrieg_!" as he did so. To Ryuken's utter shock, all of the arrows seemed to hit some sort of invisible barrier in front of Azrael's body and dissipate into nothingness.

"What is the matter Heir of Siegfried? None of your arrows are reaching me," said Azrael with a devilish grin.

"If ranged attacks don't work, then how about close combat!" exclaimed Isshin. He charged at Azrael and swung his Bankai sword in a large sweeping horizontal arc at his nemesis. To Isshin's disbelief, Azrael's body suddenly vanished into thin air.

"What the hell?" asked Isshin in shock.

"Behind you," Azrael taunted his enemy. Isshin quickly turned around and slashed at Azrael, but the prince once again vanished. _What is this move? This isn't Shunpo,_ thought Isshin. _If it was Shunpo, my lightning enhanced reflexes should have still responded to him_.

"Where are you looking at Shiba Isshin?" Azrael's voice was the only sign Isshin had of his enemy. He tried turning around to defend himself but before he could raise his guard Azrael had already placed his left hand on his chest.

"_Asura Path_," said Azrael. The dark prince fired an immense blast of red spiritual energy that completely engulfed Isshin's body. The massive red blast shot expanded outwards, narrowly missing Ichigo and his nakama, who barely flash jumped out of the way in time. The blast smashed into the wall at the southern end of the underground chamber and continued onwards for more than two kilometres before finally dissipating.

"DAD!" screamed Ichigo as he saw the figure of his father covered with flames. He and Ishida both tried to run to assist their fathers, but they were quickly restrained by Renji and Chad.

"Let me go Renji!" yelled Ichigo.

"Are you insane Ichigo? Your father and that guy are fighting at a level far beyond Shinigami like us. You'll get killed if you tried to help him!"

"Abarai-san is correct Kurosaki-san," said Urahara. "If you tried to help your father will only cause more despair and pain for him."

"Ichigo, you should know there are two kinds of battles," said Rukia. "Battles to protect one's life, and battles to protect one's honour. Your father and Uryu's father are clearly fighting the latter. You and Uryu will only wound your fathers' prides by helping them."

Both Ichigo and Ishida gnashed their teeth in despair as they were held down by Renji and Chad. They knew their nakama and Urahara were right; their fathers were fighting at a level far beyond their comprehension. Stepping into help would only get themselves killed.

When the smoke from Azrael's blast finally dissipated, Isshin emerged with horrifying injuries. His entire upper Shihakusho had been blasted away, his face, arms and chest were had received serious burns, and flood flowed from his mouth and nose.

"What, what kind of powers do you have Tsukuyomi?" asked Isshin as he panted heavily.

"I apologize for not disclosing my Zanpakuto's ability before I attacked," said Azrael. The prince did a false mocking bow of penitence. "My Zanpakuto _Amatsu Shingetsu_ is special. It combines the resurrecion of an Arrancar with the Shikai of a Shinigami to create a Zanpakuto unlike any other. It grants me, the wielder, with the powers of a perfect hybrid, channeled through six different paths. Asura Path calls upon the destructive power of a Menos' _cero_; Deva Path represents the perfect fusion of a Shinigami's Shunpo and the Arrancar's _garganta_, allowing me to move between dimensions and instantaneous transmission; Animal Path grants me a barrier surpassing a hollow's _negacion_. Finally Human Path gives me the ability to read the minds of other entities. Even now, I am reading your thoughts Shiba Isshin, and I know you must be feeling bewildered at the nature my powers."

Ichigo and his Nakama, along with Urahara and Yoruichi, were all astonished by the incredible powers that Azrael's Zanpakuto possessed. They could not comprehend how any Shinigami could possess such a combination of such powers.

"Holy crap, that guy's Zanpakuto is even more broken then Aizen's!" exclaimed Renji.

"He still has two abilities left that he has not demonstrated," commented Yoruichi.

"No, it's not just his Zanpakuto that makes his so overpowering," said Ichigo. Bands of sweat flowed down the side of his forehead. "I can't feel his spiritual pressure, so that must mean he is standing in a different plane to all of us."

"You mean like how Aizen was when he fused with the Hougyoku?" asked Urahara. Ichigo nodded. The two of them remembered the effort that had been required to ultimately defeat Aizen, requiring Ichigo to become a transcendent himself at the cost of losing his powers. Ichigo shuddered at the possibility that Azrael was even stronger than the Aizen he faced.

At this moment, Ryuken managed to pull his severed left arm from the ground using bundles of spirit particles, and reattach it to his arm socket. By using the spirit threads to move the arm like a puppet, Ryuken was able to regain movement over his left arm.

"_Ransotengai_, the ability to control parts of your body by using treads of spirit energy controlled from your brain," said Azrael. "At higher levels it even allows a user to re-attach several limbs and make them move like normal. Truly a fascinating ability." Ryuken was silent. Both he and Isshin pondered how to resolve the predicament they were. Azrael's strength had far exceeded their expectations. Yet they knew that escape from battle was not an option; only the orders of their master were preventing the Shitenno from slaughtering Isshin and Ryuken's loved ones.

"What should we do Kurosaki? We stand no chance against him in our current forms," said Ryuken. Isshin had been silently considering his options, and after discarding all other possibilities in his mind, he came to the only solution left to him.

"Ishida, are you prepared to sacrifice your powers?" asked Isshin.

"What do you mean Kurosaki?"

"You know what I mean Ishida. Both of us have transformations we can access that will briefly grant us tremendous strength at the cost of losing all of our powers. If we use them and fail to kill Tsukuyomi, we will almost certainly die. But, considering that we'll die if we don't anything, I think it is a risk we should take."

"If doing this allows us to buy a chance for our loved ones to escape, I would gladly sacrifice all of my Quincy powers."

Both Ichigo and Ishida had been overhearing their fathers' conservations, and the two of them knew what their fathers were discussing.

"No, don't do it father!" they both shouted. Isshin and Ryuken glanced at their sons. The expressions on their faces told Ichigo and Ishida that their fathers were doing it for them.

"Are you done with your little chit-chat gentlemen?" asked Azrael.

"Yeah, we're going to defeat you now Tsukuyomi," said Isshin confidently. "It is time for you to experience the same power I previously used against you. Get ready to face the _Saigo no Getsuga Tensho_!" In an instant Isshin's body exploded with intense spiritual pressure as he underwent a radical transformation. His hair turned bright gold in colour and grew in length until it extended well past his waist. The irises in his eyes turned a bright blue in colour. His Zanpakuto disappeared as his body was surrounded by a heavy pulsating golden aura.

"Man this is unreal," said Renji in awe.

"What, what is this form?" asked Rukia. Neither she nor Renji had seen anything like this.

"It is the _Saigo no Getsuga Tensho_," said Ichigo. "It is the same ability that caused me to lose my powers seven years ago. I knew dad also knew how to use it considering he taught me the ability. I just didn't think he would go to such lengths as to sacrifice his powers for me."

"Hey look Uryu's dad is doing something too," said Chad. They watched in astonishment as Ryuken chanted a spell that caused the _Sanrei Shuto _glove in his hands to disintegrate. A second later his entire body was engulfed by an immense blue spiritual aura. When he emerged again his appearance had completely changed. An elaborate body armour made entirely of spiritual threads covered his torso and his arms. His lower body was covered by an ornate dress-like hakama that had an intricate pattern of blue lines. A blue flame like quiver hung out from his right shoulder. His bow had shrunk in size and was now attached to his right hand.

"That looks like the same move that dark Quincy dude used back in Karakura Town," said Renji. Ishida nodded.

"_Quincy Letzt Stil_. A transformation that allows a Quincy to access reishi gathering capabilities far beyond the limits of an ordinary human," said Ishida. "Its power consumption is so enormous that the user will inevitably burn their spiritual powers away in a short while."

As Ishida spoke large chunks of the of the underground chamber that had been dislodged in the fight so far began to disintegrate into raw spiritual matter, which began to flow into the blue spiritual flame.

"Unbelievable, he's breaking down even physical matter and turning it into reishi he can control," said Genbu of the Shitenno. Ryuken lifted his left arm and started forming a solid arrow in his hand from the raw spiritual matter he was gathering. Azrael sensed what was happening and became concerned about his safety for the first time.

"You are exceeding your limits, Heir of Siegfried. Do you intend to sacrifice your powers for the chance to kill me?" asked Azrael.

"If it will allow my son the ability to get away from you safely I would gladly do it," said Ryuken in a cold voice. Azrael's eyes widened when the Quincy slotted the finished arrow into the bow and pointed it at him.

"Shit!" screamed Azrael. Terrified at the sheer potential power that was about to be shot at him, the dark prince jumped into the air. It was in vain, for Ryuken simply redirected his bow at his target.

"_Rache Geschütz_," said Ryuken. He let go of his arrow, which instantly transformed into an enormous beam like blast of blue spiritual pressure. The beam smashed into Azrael before piercing through hundreds of metres of solid bedrock. It finally penetrated through the ground and kept going, shooting far out into the sky above. Below the surface again, the remnant of the blast left Azrael with a gaping hole in his chest. Before the fallen prince could recover himself and tend to his injury, Isshin suddenly appeared in front of him. For the first time, utter fear was on Azrael's face when he saw Isshin's appearance. Isshin summoned a blade of pure spiritual pressure in his hands and pointed it at Azrael.

"This is the end Tsukuyomi! _Mugetsu_!" shouted Isshin. In an instant a truly colossal blast of yellow spiritual pressure filled the entire ceiling of the underground chamber.

"NOOO!" screamed Azrael as he was engulfed by the blast. The enormous attack cut through billions of tons of rock, slicing through a five hundred metre horizontal portion of Mount Fuji before emerging at the mountain's summit as a huge crescent shaped blast that travelled far into the sky. In the aftermath of the attack, enormous chunks of rock started falling into the underground chamber. As this occurred, the body of Azrael fell back onto the ground again. His entire upper torso had been cut in half, Isshin's attack having narrowly missing bisecting his head. Both Isshin and Ryuken panted heavily; their last two attacks had drained them of their spiritual energy.

"Tsukuyomi-sama!" screamed Suzaku. He and the other Shitenno suddenly brandished their Zanpakutos. "How dare you kill our prince again Shiba Isshin!"

"Heh, heh, who said I was dead?" said an ominous voice that shocked everyone present.

"Impossible!" exclaimed Isshin in horror. "He's still alive?"

"How could he survive such an attack?" asked Ryuken in disbelief. The two of them gasped when they saw the body of Azrael seemingly rise up from the ground, his torso still cut in half. In front of everyone's eyes the decrepit prince's body started regenerating. First his torso was sewed back together, then the hole in his chest closed up. Then, in a transformation that stunned everyone, even the Shitenno, Azrael started getting younger. The wrinkles on his face and arms slowly disappeared and his formerly white hair darkened until it was a light brown in colour. Azrael finished his transformation by letting out a powerful scream as he increased his muscle and body mass. His new appearance now resembled the form his son and protégé Aizen had assumed after his second Hougyoku Transformation.

"Ah…I had forgotten what it was like to be young again," said Azrael in a state of ecstasy. "I thank you Shiba Isshin and Ishida Ryuken. Your energies provided me with the life force I needed to regain my former youth. My Zanpakuto's Hell Path ability allows me to regenerate my body provided I have enough reiatsu to do so."

"What? You made us unleash our most powerful moves just so that you could steal our energy?" Isshin was devastated. He and Ryuken had risked losing their powers forever for nothing. Azrael had been toying with them the entire battle.

"No, this can't end like this," said Ryuken.

"We're not giving up yet! We still have energy left for one more attack!" screamed Isshin. He and Ryuken channeled all of their remaining spiritual energy into their respective weapons and, while still in the final forms, charged at Azrael. The youthful prince allowed them to get within an inch of his body. A murderous grin was on his face.

"_Hungry Ghost Path_," said Azrael. A second later, two threads of spirit energy shot out from his body and impaled Isshin and Ryuken through their chests. Ichigo and Ishida watched on in horror as their fathers' eyes went vacant. They could feel their fathers' spirit energy and life force being drained from their bodies.

"I shall enjoy feasting upon your souls gentlemen. You shall join the one hundred thousand other souls I have consumed," said Azrael. Within a few seconds both Isshin and Ryuken had their life force drained from their bodies. Azrael allowed their almost lifeless husks to fall onto the ground.

"DAD!" screamed both Ichigo and Ishida. The two of them broke out of Renji and Chad's grasps and rushed over to tend to their fathers.

"Eliminate the others Shitenno. I do not want any witnesses to my resurrection to escape from here alive," said Azrael.

"It's my pleasure Tsukuyomi-san. I'll start with Shiba Isshin's son first!" cackled Suzaku. The fiery red head fired a powerful blast of fire from his Zanpakuto at Ichigo and Ishida. Before the attack could hit them it was suddenly intercepted by Chad, who had summoned both of his armoured arms. Chad only managed a few seconds of resistance before his entire body was engulfed by the flames.

"SADO-KUN!" screamed Orihime as she watched Chad's still burning body topple to the ground. Urahara and Yoruichi hastily went beside Ichigo and Ishida.

"Everyone, grab hold of Yoruichi and me! I'm going to teleport us all out of here!" exclaimed Urahara. The 12th Division captain pulled out a transportation device from his robes. Ichigo, Ishida, with their hands on their fathers, grabbed hold of Urahara's sandals. Orihime, with her hand upon Chad's body, grabbed hold of Yoruichi's arms. Rukia and Renji touched Urahara's back.

"STOP THEM RIGHT NOW!" yelled Suzaku. He and the Shitenno charged at the group but it was too late. Urahara's device activated, creating an impenetrate force field around the group. A second later, everyone who was within the force field vanished.

"Shit they've escaped!" swore Suzaku. "I'm sorry Tsukuyomi-sama."

"It is no matter Suzaku. They cannot possibly do anything to us now. We can always dispose of them later," said Azrael.

* * *

As Isshin's consciousness floated in the void, his mind cast back to the memories of life after he met Urahara in the real world…

"_How do you feel?" asked Urahara Kisuke as he watched the former Royal Guard Isshin enter the human gigai for the first time._

_ "A bit uncomfortable. My limbs aren't co-operating properly with my head," said Isshin._

_ "You'll get used to it. I'll look around for suitable accommodation for you. In the mean time, don't wander far from here." _

_ "Thanks a lot Kisuke." Isshin thanked Urahara as he left the former captain's humble little shop. As he walked along the street Isshin pondered how he was going to get his life back together. Alone in the human world, without any spiritual powers and completely cut off from his friends and family, he wondered if he should have died back then in the Dangai. _

_ As he rounded a bend to a busy street his eyes caught sight of a woman who took his breath away. She was the spitting image of the woman he had admired, the Princess Amaterasu. Dressed in an elegant yellow two piece dress, her sparkling orange hair and warm blue eyes radiated beauty. She was carrying a stack of books in her hands as she crossed the street. Just then a car came speeding towards her. Isshin saw what was about to happen and, without thinking, pushed her out of harm's way. A moment later he blacked out. _

_ When he woke up again he found himself lying in a bed in the middle of a bedroom. His body was covered with stitches. The first thing he saw was the face of the woman he had saved._

_ "Thank goodness you are awake at last," said the woman with a smile. "I was so worried about you. I kept watch over you ever since you were brought back from hospital."_

_ "How long have I been out for?" asked Isshin._

_ "You were unconscious for one week, after you were struck by the car. Your injuries were so severe I thought you would never wake up." The woman's eyes misted, and Isshin thought she was about to cry._

_ "Ah I am sorry for causing you so much trouble."_

_ "No I must thank you from the bottom of my heart. You saved my life. Had the car hit me I would have died. You did a really noble act." Isshin smiled happily. He had been worried that he had upset her by his reckless act. _

_ "May I know your name, my kind savior?" asked the woman._

_ "I'm Isshin."_

_ "Isshin…that is a nice name," said the woman with a smile. "My name is Masaki. Kurosaki Masaki."_

_ "Masaki…that is lovely name," said Isshin. _

* * *

That was the moment Isshin met his beloved wife, the reincarnation of the princess he had always admired and protected for so long. The love that had blossomed from that meeting bore them three healthy children; a son who inherited the powers of their two bloodlines, and two beautiful daughters. Taking on his wife's name, Isshin had hoped the love he had found would erase any memories of his past, and that he would live out the rest of his life in the human world. It was not to be. Fate, and the dreadful ghosts of his past, caused him to lose his beloved Masaki, and forced his children, Ichigo especially, to become involved in the same affairs of Soul Society he had sought to escape from. And when he finally chose to confront his demons by hunting down the enemy he had thought had died by his hand, his actions ended up causing untold suffering for his family and friends.

_My life has been nothing but a string of failures_, thought Isshin. _I couldn't protect Princess Amaterasu or get my revenge on Tsukuyomi. I couldn't prevent Masaki from dying. I failed to stop Ichigo from becoming involved in Soul Society's affairs before he was ready. And my fruitless search for Tsukuyomi caused Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu to die too. I've been a horrible father, and a horrible person. I…_

"Dad!" shouted Ichigo into his father's ears. Urahara had transported them all to the underground training room beneath his store. Ishida soon left the store with his father's body, saying he intended to bury his father himself. Ichigo on the other hand had ordered Orihime to heal his father's wounds in a desperate attempt to revive him.

"Ichigo…" said Isshin in an extremely weak voice as he opened his eyes. Ichigo felt his father's life force dwindling.

"Don't you die on me, dad," said Ichigo. He turned to Orihime. "Can you do anything to save him Inoue?" Orihime shook her head in a solemn expression.

"I'm sorry Kurosaki-kun, the best I could do was to heal your father's wounds. I can't restore the soul that was taken from him. Plus, I need to Sado-kun's wounds first."

"Damn it! Isn't there anything we can do to save him?" Ichigo slammed his fists on the ground in frustration. His second strike was stopped by his father's right hand.

"It is too late for me Ichigo. I know my time has come," said Isshin. "You've already saved me Ichigo. You've given me a chance to say goodbye to you."

"Dad…" Ichigo watched as Isshin's breathing became shallower.

"I've…been a terrible father haven't I? I couldn't prevent your mother from dying. I allowed you to get involved in the affairs of Shinigami when you weren't ready. And I abandoned you and your sisters on some crazy mission to search for a guy who I had thought was dead. You must surely hate me for what I've done Ichigo."

"No, I don't dad! You're the best father any son could possibly have. You taught me how to fight, and how to be a better person. Without your help I wouldn't be where I am now," said Ichigo. Isshin smiled. The fact that his son didn't detest him despite all the suffering he made him went through filled his heart with happiness.

"Ichigo…I want you to take my Zanpakuto," said Isshin.

"Your Zanpakuto?" Ichigo was confused. He did as his father instructed and removed the katana from his father's waist.

"I'm giving my Zanpakuto to you Ichigo. With this act, my Zanpakuto will live on after I die. It is my last gift to you. Use it wisely. I know you will succeed where I failed Ichigo, because you don't suffer from the same weight of failure as I do."

"That is not true dad, I've made as many terrible mistakes as you have!" Ichigo protested.

"Heh, heh, maybe. But there is one thing you have that I always lacked, the love and support that friends provide. I was always alone, and all I bore all of my burdens by myself. You have friends who can shoulder your burdens Ichigo, and who can pick you up should you fall. Never forget the bonds you've forged with them. It is those bonds that make you a better man than I." Ichigo held his father's hands as he sensed Isshin's life force dwindle. For the first time Ichigo saw tears in Isshin's eyes.

"Masaki, I'm finally going to see you again," cried Isshin. At this moment, the spirit of Isshin's Zanpakuto passed into Ichigo's heart, and Ichigo suddenly felt all of the memories and emotions his father had experienced. Ichigo finally understood the kind of man his father was. A man who would sacrifice everything he had, including his life, to protect the ones he loved. The lessons his father had taught him resonated in Ichigo's heart. He recalled again the words his father had said to him that day at his mother's grave. "_Live well, age well, and go bald well, and die after me. And if you can, die smiling_…"

Ichigo looked down and saw his father's eyes shut for the last time. There was a smile on his face. When the final remnant of his life force disappeared, Isshin's body slowly turned to stone. Ichigo held the lifeless body of his father in his arms. As Rukia, Orihime and Renji watched on in deep sadness, tears started flowing down Ichigo's face. He let out a sorrowful cry that resonated across time and space, a cry that marked the passing of the great man known as Shiba Isshin.

* * *

Comments

Death in the Family was by far the most pivotal chapter of Bleach: The Afterlife Saga I've ever written so far. The on-screen deaths of two major secondary characters, both connected to the main protagonists, is something that will change the shape of not only this story, but perhaps the entire perception of the Bleach Manga. I took steps to ensure the battle leading up to the deaths was every bit as epic as possible. This chapter was also the last opportunity for me to fully flesh out Isshin's backstory.

*Tensa Engetsu(天鎖剡月): Means "Heavenly Chain Burning Moon" in Japanese. This is Isshin's Bankai. Both its name and its appearance are very similar to Ichigo's Bankai, an aspect that will be of great importance in the coming chapters. Its main powers are to boost Isshin's speed and reflexes to the speed of lightning, and to enchance his _Getsuga Tensho_ and general physical abilities.

*Sprenger Sorfotig: Means "Instantaneous Explosion" in German. It is powered up version of Sprenger. Unlike the normal Sprenger, Sprenger Sorfotig does not required Ginto tubes to activate; a sixth Seele Schneider fired into the centre of the pentagram is sufficient to trigger the explosion.

*Amatsu Shingetsu (天津 神月): Means "Heavenly Imperial Spirit Moon" in Japanese. This is Azrael/Tsukuyomi's Zanpakuto. Its name and its shikai release was intended to be similar in theme to Aizen's Kyoka Suigetsu. The powers of Amatsu Shingetsu are related to the Six Paths of Buddhism. They include:

-Deva Path, the power to control gargantas and to warp space and time, granting the wielder instantaneous movement.

-Asura Path, the power over the raw destructive energies of cero.

-Animal Path, the power to summon negacion barriers at will.

-Hell Path, the power of instant and high-speed renegation.

-Human Path, the power to read and control the minds of other spiritual beings.

-Hungry Ghost Path, the power over gonzui, the ability to suck and the souls of other spiritual beings.

*Blitzkrieg: Means "Lightning war/attack" in Japanese. This is Ishida Ryuken's ability to fire over 5,000 arrows from his bow at once, surpassing his son's limit of 1,200.

*Ransotengai: As mentioned in the manga, this is the Quincy ability to manipulate spirit threads to control their bodies like puppets, thus enabling them to fight even when they are seriously injured.

*Rache Geschütz: Means "Veangence Cannon" in German. This is the name for the ultimate arrow attack that both Ishida and Ryuken fire when they are in Quincy Letzt Stil. The shape and form of this attack differs depending on the user.


	53. Chapter 53: The Beginning of the End

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

*Thanks to **Skywalker T, Lalaith Quetzail, Sargerogue, Ghost 2113, Hokkaidomaster** and many others for submitting reviews for the previous chapter! The feedback I've received has been astonishing.

*For everyone who's read this story and loved it, it would be good if you could tell your friends about it. I would also appreciate it a lot if someone nominated Bleach: Afterlife Saga as one of the recommended Bleach fanfics at TV Tropes.

*Now without further ado here's the latest chapter!

* * *

Chapter 53: The Beginning of the End

Ichigo shovelled the final scoop of dirt over the temporary burial mound that contained the stone body of his dead father. He was going to give his father a proper burial after everything was over, but for now the makeshift grave in the middle of Urahara's underground training chamber would have to do.

"It is finished," said Ichigo solemnly as he put down the shovel. Rukia, Renji, Urahara and Yoruichi had all watched the burial process.

"What do you plan on doing now Ichigo?" asked Renji.

"I'm going to find Azrael and I'm going to kill him. I won't rest until I've avenged my father's death," said Ichigo. He grabbed his Zanpakuto and placed it back into its scabbard. An intense desire for vengeance swelled in his heart. He headed in the direction of the stairs when Urahara stopped him.

"Don't be so hasty Kurosaki-san," said Urahara. Ichigo turned around and stared at his former mentor.

"What do you mean?" asked Ichigo. "That man killed my dad and he's planning to destroy Soul Society. I have to stop him!"

"I understand your feelings, but you will only be throwing your life away if you tried to face Azrael in the state you are now. Look at what happened to your father; do you think you are as strong as he is now? Isshin was one of the strongest of the Royal Guards and yet Azrael toyed with him. How do you think you would fare in your father's stead?"

Ichigo became frustrated and anxious. He knew Urahara was telling him words of wisdom, but he couldn't ignore the feelings he had inside of him.

"What should I do then Urahara-san? Should I just sit here and let Azrael destroy Soul Society and the world?"

"Of course not. Azrael must be stopped, but right now there is no one that can stop him. The only person who stands a chance of defeating him is you Kurosaki-san. Why do you think your father left you his Zanpakuto?" Urahara pointed at the sword that was lying beside Isshin's makeshift grave. "It is because he recognised the potential that is in you. You once were able to attain a level of strength great enough to defeat an Aizen transformed by the Hougyoku. I have no doubt your father believes you are capable of achieving that strength again."

"The strength I had back then was a one-off," said Ichigo, "It took me three months of non-stop training in order to achieve it. Do we have that long before Azrael makes his move?"

"Probably not. It is likely he will attack Soul Society soon."

"I also received word from Tessai-san that the captains of the 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th divisions have been slated for execution at dawn tomorrow," said Yoruichi.

"What Hirako-san is going to be executed!" Ichigo exclaimed in surprise. "We've got to stop the execution!"  
"I know Ichigo. Urahara and I have been working with the exiled Gotei 13 captains on an assault to stop the execution," said Yoruichi.

"From there, we hope to restore the Gotei 13 and have it ally with the loyalist Royal Guards before Azrael make his move," said Urahara. "We shall buy you as much time as possible to get stronger."

"When are you guys going to leave?" asked Ichigo.

"Right now." Urahara suddenly pointed his cane and opened a Senkaimon to Soul Society. "Abarai and Kuchiki-san will accompany us. We will be in close contact with you via your Danreishinki." Ichigo watched as Yoruichi and Renji stepped through the Senkaimon.

"Take care of yourself Ichigo," said Rukia before she entered the gate. Urahara was the last to enter. The former shop keeper looked back at Ichigo and said "Everything rests on your shoulders now Kurosaki-san" before the Senkaimon closed.

Ichigo was left pondering the choices he had to make; whether to seek vengeance immediately or whether to cool his fire and instead train hard enough to surpass his father. As he picked up his father's sword, he suddenly noticed Ishida dropping down from the roof of the underground chamber. He was carrying Tatsuki in his arms. Once they landed on the ground Tatsuki immediately ran to where Orihime and Chad were. When she saw Chad's horribly burnt body she fell onto her knees and burst into tears.

"Sado!" cried Tatsuki. "You promised me you would come back safely alive! How could you end up like this?" Ichigo, Ishida and Orihime all looked on in concern. All three of them partially felt responsible for Chad's current state.

"I'm sorry Tatsuki. Chad ended up like this when he saved us from the enemy," said Ichigo. Ichigo's words caused Tatsuki to snap. She grabbed Ichigo's robes.

"How could you do this to me Ichigo? You caused the love of my life to end up like this! It's all your fault!" Ichigo had nothing to say in response to Tatsuki's rants. He was still grieving over his own loss; he was in no position to counsel Tatsuki over hers. Ishida was in the same position as Ichigo. Fortunately for both of them, Orihime somehow knew the way to calm Tatsuki down.

"Tatsuki-chan, it was no one's fault that Sado-kun ended up like this," said Orihime. "When we embarked on the journey we all knew the risks we faced. Any of us could have been hurt or worse been killed along the way. Sado-kun chose to sacrifice himself in order to protect us. If it wasn't for his act of courage all of us might have been dead by now. Plus, Sado-kun is still alive; I can hopefully heal all of his wounds by tomorrow morning." Tatsuki cheered up upon hearing Orihime's words.

"You're serious Orihime? You can bring Sado back to normal?"

"Only his body Tatsuki-can. I don't know how long he will stay unconscious for."

"Don't worry about it Arisawa. I've known Chad longer than you have and I know the strength of his soul. He will not doubt overcome this ordeal and emerge stronger in the process," said Ichigo.

"I guess I'll have to trust your words Ichigo. I'll stay beside Sado until he wakes up."

"Kurosaki and I are going to discuss something by ourselves. Are you okay staying with Arisawa?" asked Ishida.

"I'm fine Ishida-kun," Orihime nodded. Ichigo and Ishida left the girls to tend to Chad while the two of them walked some distance away.

"What happened to your father?" asked Ichigo.

"I cremated his body and placed his ashes in our family's sacred urn. His remains now lie in a secret place in my apartment," said Ishida.

"You burned his body?"

"Our clan has always believed that after the soul leaves for the afterlife the body should be cremated lest it be desecrated by evil spirits such as hollows. Besides, my dad's soul no longer exists anymore; there is no point in preserving his body."

"That kind of makes sense." Ichigo and Ishida stopped at an open space area and looked at each other.

"What happened to Kuchiki-san and the other Shinigami?" asked Ishida.

"They all left for the Soul Society," said Ichigo. "They are planning to mount an assault on Seireitei early tomorrow morning."

"Let me guess, you're staying behind because there is something you're planning to do." Ichigo showed Ishida his father's sword.

"My father left me his Zanpakuto. By all rights I shouldn't be able to use it, yet I know it belongs to me. I'm going to see if I can master all of its power." Ichigo noticed that Ishida was carrying a box in his left hand. "What do you have there Ishida?" Ishida showed Ichigo what was inside the box. There was a pair of _Sanrei Shuto_ gloves and a ring with a bluish crystal orb embedded inside a gem.

"My father left me these items in his will. He had instructed me not to read it unless unforeseen circumstances happened to him. These gloves are the very same pair that my ancestor Siegfried wore."

"What about the ring?" Ishida took the ring out and showed it to Ichigo.

"This is the _Niebelung_, the most powerful artifact that Siegfried Walsung ever created, and a heirloom of our family. It was forged during the Quincy Wars from the essences of over five million hollows. My father said that Siegfried also left a part of his own soul inside this item."

"Five million hollows? That's crazy!" exclaimed Ichigo. "I can feel an intense power coming from it. It's kind of like what I felt when I was close to the Hougyoku."

"You could say this ring is the Quincy version of that Shinigami artifact. I intend to communicate with my ancestor's spirit in order to master the _Niebelung_'s power. Whilst I'm doing that my body also needs to be accustomed to the reishi gathering potential of the _Sanrei Shuto_. I'll be doing my training over there." Ishida pointed to another area of the chamber about a hundred metres away from where they were standing.

"Fair enough." Ichigo watched as Ishida left to be by himself. _Alright, it is time to begin_. Ichigo held both Zanpakutos in his hands and attempted to communicate with them. It took him only a few seconds to summon Zangetsu into the outside world.

"Do you need me again Ichigo?" asked Zangetsu.

"I do old man. But we're going to be doing something different this time." The man with the orange shades noticed that Ichigo was holding another Zanpakuto in his left hand; one that he himself recognised.

"That Zanpakuto…don't tell me you are summoning her?" Ichigo nodded. Zangetsu watched as his master struggled to contact the spirit of his father's Zanpakuto. After several attempts he finally succeeded in establishing a link. With a mental thought _show yourself_ he made his father's Zanpakuto spirit materialize into the outside world. The being that appeared before him made Ichigo flabbergasted in astonishment. Though she was bathed in a radiant yellow light Ichigo could see tell from her appearance that she looked exactly like his long lost mother. She was dressed in a stunning yellow and orange dress.

"Mum?" asked a stunned Ichigo. "Is that you?"

"Ichigo," said the Zanpakuto spirit in a warm soothing voice that his mother used to speak to him with. "I am happy to see you again." The woman hugged her arms around Ichigo.

"Mum, I thought you were dead. How is it that you're still alive?" The 'Masaki' that was hugging Ichigo suddenly grinned, before giving him a punch to the stomach that knocked the wind out of him.

"Heh, heh, I knew you would fall for my impression," said the woman in a completely different tone of voice. A second later her appearance changed, and though her clothes and hair were still the same colour she now resembled a buxom teenage girl instead of a middle-aged woman. Both Ichigo and Zangetsu stared at her in confusion.

"So you're really not my mother. Then you must be Engetsu then."

"Took you long enough to notice." The Zanpakuto Engetsu grinned.

"How come you appeared to me in the form of my mother?"

"The appearance I first showed you was my Shikai state. My idiot of a master loved his departed wife so much that he made me to change my default form to look like her when he regained his powers. I was forced to copy all of her mannerisms."

"So the form you are in right now is your true form huh," said Ichigo. He could tell by her appearance and nature that the real Engetsu was going to be trouble to deal with. The buxom orange-haired spirit walked up to Zangetsu and caressed his beard.

"You must be Zangetsu. You sure are a handsome man," said Engetsu. Zangetsu's face turned red.

"What is the matter handsome? You can't handle my advances?"

"Um, my heart already belongs to somebody else," said Zangetsu discreetly.

"Heh, don't lie to me. I know you are simply a shy boy pretending to a manly man. Why don't you show me your true form?" Engetsu's seductive advances caused Zangetsu to drop his guard and his master Ichigo watched on in embarrassment as his own Zanpakuto spirit turned into his younger looking Bankai form on the spot.

"Aha! I knew it! You really are a scrawny looking kid!" laughed Engetsu.

"I'm not a kid!" yelled Tensa Zangetsu. "I look just as old as you are."

"Hey, could you two stop fighting? I didn't summon the two of you out here to have a chit chat," said Ichigo.

"So straightforward Ichigo. I really like your style. You're much more upfront about things than your old man was," said Engetsu with a smile. "I can tell by the look on your eyes that you want to get stronger, to the point where you surpass your father, in order to beat Tsukuyomi."

"I know I'm not strong enough to defeat him the way I am now."

"Damn straight you aren't. Since Isshin entrusted me to look after you, I think it would be good if I teach you everything that he knows. All of his powers and abilities. You're going to need to become at least as strong as your father if you want to defeat Tsukuyomi." Ichigo nodded.

"I'll eventually teach you the secret techniques that only the Royal Guards normally have access to, but before you can learn them you have to get yourself to a level where you can use me proficiently. Which means you need to master my Bankai."

"What, I thought dad transferred all of his powers to me!" exclaimed Ichigo in surprise.

"Did you think it was going to be that easy? You only summoned me because I allowed myself to be summoned. Right now, you have little knowledge on how to use me. I can't teach you anything unless you gain full mastery over my powers."

"So that means I have to subdue you in order to attain Bankai?" Ichigo gasped in awe as Engetsu summoned the Bankai version of her sword form in her right hand. A brilliant aura of golden spirit energy surrounded her body.

"Let's begin Ichigo. You won't be able to use me unless you beat me with my own sword," said Engetsu.

"How am I supposed to beat you with this?" asked Ichigo. He held up his father's seemingly naked asauchi blade in his hands. Engetsu slashed at him without warning, in an attack that Ichigo barely avoided.

"Fool, that sword is already in its Shikai state. Like you, Isshin never liked sealing his Zanpakuto and coming up with a release command. He always had enough reiatsu to keep me in Shikai. He beat me in the same manner we're about to go through now in order to attain Bankai. Don't get scared Ichigo. I'm not as nice your Zangetsu." Ichigo was caught by surprise when the orange-haired Zanpakuto spirit flash stepped in front of him and slashed at his midriff. Ichigo's own reflexes saved him from being cut right through, but he still sustained a wound on his left side.

"Ichigo!" yelled Zangetsu. Ichigo's own Zanpakuto spirit tried to help his master but he was kicked away by Engetsu.

"Don't interfere pretty boy. This is a test between Ichigo and me alone. If Ichigo cannot defeat me, he will never be able to access the strength and power to surpass his father," said Engetsu.

"But, Ichigo is clearly outmatched against you," Zangetsu tried to protest.

"The lady's right," said Ichigo with a grin. He was a happy even though blood was dripping from the side. "I have to beat her by myself, or else I will never be better than dad. Let's do this again Engetsu-san. I'm ready for you." Ichigo gripped Engetsu's blade in a manner that almost mimicked his father's. He then charged at Engetsu, attacking her with a fierce downward swing.

"Nice moves Ichigo, but you're going to have to do better than that!" laughed Engetsu.

"I'm just getting started!" Ichigo yelled back. Zangetsu could only watch as his master fought against another Zanpakuto using that Zanpakuto's own sword. He had an inkling of what Ichigo was trying to achieve but he was at a loss as to how he could accomplish it. _Ichigo, what kind of strength are you hoping to attain?_

* * *

A Senkaimon appeared in the middle of West Rukongai, in a small village near a mountain range overlooking the walled city of Seireitei. Urahara, Yoruichi, Rukia and Renji emerged from the spirit gate as it closed.

"We're in Nishi Rukongai," said Rukia.

"Why are we in this place?" asked Renji.

"Just follow us. You'll understand in a moment," said Yoruichi with a wink. The four of them walked towards the village. When they reached the village, they walked through the main street until they reached a sizeable two storey house. Urahara knocked on the door, and was greeted a few seconds later by an old man.

"Good evening," said Urahara. The old man's eyes lit up in surprise.

"Kisuke-san!" the old man exclaimed. "It's been a long time since I've seen you. And…that fine looking woman beside you must be Yoruichi-san. It is so great to see the two of you again."

"It is good to see you too," said Urahara. "How are things going?"

"Worse than you could ever imagine," said the old man with a pale face. "Seireitei resembles a labour camp. All of the noble families have either been sent to prison or are under house arrest. Those Royal Guard bastards are sending patrols out into the Rukongai to search for you and your fellow nakama. They round up ordinary people who they believe know your whereabouts and torture them if they refuse to comply."

"I see." Urahara had no idea things were as bad as this. It would take a miracle to restore Seireitei to a state strong enough to withstand Azrael's impending assault. "Where is Yamamoto Genryusai? I need to speak with him."

"Ho, ho, you are in luck! Yamamoto-sama is waiting for you at the back as we speak," laughed the old man.

"Take us to him right now." The old man led Urahara and the others into the house. When they reached the lounge room at the rear of the house they saw Yamamoto sitting on the floor alongside Byakuya and Tessai.

"Nii-sama!" exclaimed Rukia in joy. She ran over and hugged her brother tightly. "I missed you so much!"

"I've…I've missed you too Rukia," said Byakuya. Rukia stopped hugging him for a moment and noticed that his Shihakusho was dirty and torn in several places, and his hair was now unkempt and missing the Kensei-kan.

"What happened to you Nii-sama? Your Kensei-kan is gone and your clothes are all ragged." Byakuya went silent for a moment. He didn't want his sister to know of his great shame, or of the troubles in the family.

"It is of no consequence. There are bigger things to worry about than the state I am in at the moment."

"I am just glad you are okay," said Rukia with a smile.

"It is good to have you back Kuchiki Taicho," said Renji. He and Rukia sat beside Byakuya. The three of them watches as the real discussion between Urahara and Yamamoto began.

"Give me an update on the outcome of your mission Kisuke," said Yamamoto. "What transpired in the real world?" Urahara hesitated for a moment. He was uneasy about disclosing the horror of the events he had witnessed. A glance at Yoruichi told him that she too did not really want to speak about their failure.

"What is the matter Kisuke? I ordered you to give a debrief," said Yamamoto.

"Yes, Yamamoto-san." Urahara took a deep breath before recounting everything he and Yoruichi had experienced in their time in the real world. Yoruichi, Rukia and Renji stepped in to provide additional information that Urahara missed. When they were all done, Yamamoto, Byakuya and Tessai were left staggered. The Captain Commander in particular started sweating profusely, and his body started shaking.

"I...cannot believe what you just told me Kisuke," said Yamamoto.

"It is the truth Yamamoto-san. Everyone who was at the mountain can attest to it."

"I am truly sorry about what happened to Isshin," said Tessai. "I wish I could have been there to hear his last words." The people in the room went silent for a moment. For Urahara, Yoruichi, Rukia and Renji, it was the first time since their escape from Mount Fuji that they had time to reflect on the tragedies they had witnessed in that underground cave. Byakuya noticed the saddened expressions on Rukia's face.

"Is something wrong Rukia?" asked Byakuya. "Did anything happen to you?"

"No, I'm perfectly fine Nii-sama," Rukia lied. She did not want her brother to know of the trauma and angst that was in her heart.

"Where is Kurosaki Ichigo?" asked Yamamoto.

"He and the Quincy Ishida Uryu are training in the underground chamber below my former shop," said Urahara. He didn't need to explain to Yamamoto that the two of them were training to avenge their fathers.

"How long will it take them to complete their training?"

"I…don't know. It took Kurosaki-san three months of solid training in the Dangai under Isshin's supervision to become strong enough to defeat Aizen. Tsukuyomi/Azrael is likely many times stronger than Aizen was."

"We cannot wait for Kurosaki Ichigo to complete his training. If he is alive and the Shitenno have already allied with him, then Prince Tsukuyomi will undoubtedly seek to kill his brother Susano-o and destroy the Spirit Throne. Should that happen Soul Society will fall and with it the whole of existence will be imperiled."

"How can we stop him? Isshin and Ryuken were both killed with ease," said Yoruichi.

"Depending on whether I can convince him, Kenryusai and I may be able to stop Tsukuyomi from reaching the Heart of Seireitei," said Yamamoto. "But the Gotei 13 alone will not stand a chance against the Shitenno and Aizen unless it allies with the Royal Guard."

"There is only one option we have in front of us then," said Byakuya. Yamamoto nodded. The people in the room knew what was at stake.

"Sasakibe has informed me that Hirako, Aikawa, Otoribashi and Muguruma are slated for execution at dawn tomorrow. We shall being our coup an hour before the execution. Our goal is to take control of Seireitei and force Kenryusai and the remaining Royal Guards to ally with us."

"Can we do it with only five captain class officers and two lieutenants?" asked Yoruichi.

"I have received word from Kenpachi-san that he and his subordinates will join us when the time comes. They have been training deep in the mountains of Zaraki," said Tessai.

"That is good news Tessai" Yamamoto stood up and addressed his men. "Listen carefully! Our goal is not to defeat the Royal Guards. Our aim to persuade them to join us in fighting the common enemy. Only a united Seireitei can prevent Tsukuyomi from achieving his goals. We have until five in the morning tomorrow to prepare!"

With that, the small group of elite Shinigami began their preparations for the ambitious task of retaking Seireitei from the Royal Guards.

* * *

Back in the real world, six powerful spiritual entities gathered outside the base of Mount Fuji. The mountain had already been half destroyed in the titanic battle that took place in the caverns beneath the surface. Now it was rumbling, as hundreds of years of dormant lava rose up towards the surface. The man responsible for the mountain's transformation raised his hands in the air. Azrael, the former Royal Prince Tsukuyomi, grinned arrogantly at the destruction he was about to unleash. Watching him with interest were his four loyal servants, the four Royal Guards who had long ago foresworn their allegiance to the Spirit King. One final figure stood behind Azrael; a man who, except for the length of the hair, looked unmistakably like him.

"Planning a special surprise for the humans, father?" asked the traitorous former Gotei 13 captain Aizen Sousuke.

"Just a demonstration to announce my triumphant return," said Azrael. "The destruction I am about to unleash upon the human world will send a signal that will cause Soul Society to tremble at my coming." Azrael brought his hands slowly down in front his body. As he did so, the rumbling beneath their feet grew louder as the build-up of molten rock and lava caused the simmering pressure in the chambers at the heart of Mount Fuji to intensify. Soon, the largest, most powerful volcano in all of Japan, one that had lain dormant for over three hundred years, unleashed its fury. Having already been cut nearly in half by an incredible energy attack, the mountain proceeded to destroy itself in a truly monstrous eruption.

A vast geyser of fiery molten lava burst into the air. Massive boulders of fiery rock were shot out from the volcano at incredible speeds, and rivers of molten lava started flowing down numerous holes in the mountain's surface. In a few seconds the geyser of lava and molten rock that had been spewed from the mountain's top condensed into a gargantuan mushroom cloud, one a thousand times larger than the cloud that had formed from the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The ash and fire spewing from the erupting Mount Fuji soon rained down over the Tokyo Prefecture, including the small district of Karakura Town. Large boulders smashed against the town, blasting apart numerous buildings. Within minutes, nearly half of Karakura Town was ablaze.

"Yes! This is the spectacle I've been waiting for!" cackled Azrael in a mad voice. "The human world shall burn!" The insane prince raised his hands into the air again. With a gesture he caused the skies above to tear open, causing an immense portal of dark energy to appear.

"You opened a Garganta to Hueco Mundo father," said Aizen.

"We shall gather together all of the hollows in the Hueco Mundo and assemble them into an army beyond imagination. When that is complete, we shall finally witness Soul Society's destruction," said Azrael.

"Heh, heh, I can't wait," Suzaku licked his lips. The six dark individuals flew into the sky and disappeared into the Garganta.

* * *

Comments:

This is the last chapter of the Search for Isshin sub-arc. The next chapter will see the start of a new sub-arc of the Royal Guard Arc.

*Ichigo's training: The focal point of this chapter is Ichigo training to master the power of both Engetsu and Zangetsu used simultaneously. Normally a Shinigami cannot wield two Zanpakutos at once and a Zanpakuto spirit usually dies when its owner dies. However, Ichigo's unique heritage and the fact that Zangetsu and Engetsu are so closely related means that Isshin was able to transfer ownership of Engetsu to Ichigo before he died. In a sense, Engetsu now fufils the same role for Ichigo as Ichigo's Inner Hollow did, being a second spirit inside of Ichigo that Ichigo can draw upon. This means that Ichigo can access twice the potential power that other Shinigamis can access.

*The Niebelung: This item is based on the ring of the same name found in Richard Wagner's epic set of four poems titled _Der Ring des Niebelungen. _The poems revolved around a magic ring forged by the Niebelung dwarf Alberich which grants the power to rule the world. The Niebelung in this story largely reflects the legend it is based on as it is an artifact possessing the same level of power as the Hougyoku.

*Eruption of Mount Fuji: Mount Fuji last erupted in 1707. Although it is of little risk of erupting in real life, I thought it wouldn't be farfetched to have the mountain erupt due to the intense battle between Isshin, Ryuken and Azrael. The mountain's eruption also serves a significant plot element in that it causes Karakura Town to be mostly destroyed.


	54. Chapter 54: Brothers in Arms

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

*Thankyou **Skywalker T, Ghost, Hokkaido Master, Ignisha, Sargerogue, Shadowknight**, and many others who send in reviews for the previous chapter! Your feedback has been awesome.

*This chapter marks the beginning of the Soul Society Civil War Arc, an arc which I promise to be more epic and action packed than the manga's Fake Karakura Arc ever was. There will be many titanic fights and desperate struggles, along with more mindblowing plot twists. Don't miss a single chapter from here on out, for the final arc of Bleach: The Afterlife Saga has commenced!

* * *

Chapter 54: Brothers in Arms

A large explosion of spiritual energy shook the underground chamber. As the dust kicked up from the explosion subsided, two figures emerged. The figure on the left, a young man with orange hair, had stabbed the figure on the right, a young woman, also with orange hair, with a katana. The blade was lodged firmly in the woman's chest.

"I did it," panted Ichigo. His face was covered with blood, and his Shihakusho had been ripped in several places.

"Took you long enough," grinned the Zanpakuto Engetsu. Neither of them had held back in their battle; by the time Ichigo had won, half the underground chamber was in ruins.

"It took me over two days to learn Zangetsu's Bankai the first time," said Ichigo. "And even then my Bankai remained incomplete for nearly half a year. I've subdued you in less than a day. And you still think I took too long?" Ichigo smirked at Engetsu.

"What can I say? I'm a fast woman," Engetsu shrugged her shoulders. "Anyway, learning my Bankai was just the easy part. The hard training now begins. Zangetsu and I will be going back to your inner world now. Meet us there to begin the next stage." With that Engetsu's spiritual body disappeared as she returned to Ichigo's inner world. Ichigo dropped the sword in his hands and sat down on a rock to rest.

"Man I am pooped," he said. He saw Zangetsu approach him.

"Before I leave Ichigo, I want to have a quick word with you," said Zangetsu.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"This training you are embarking on with Engetsu, I have an idea of what you are hoping to accomplish. I hate to say this but you are stepping down a very dangerous road Ichigo."

"All of the training sessions I've gone through have been fraught with danger. My inner hollow's gone so I don't have to worry about turning into one. What are you so worried about?"

"As far as I know, no Shinigami has been able to successfully wield and release two different Zanpakutos to their Bankai states. You are treading into a realm of power that no one else has gone before. It will be difficult for me to protect you this time."

"Come on Zangetsu-san, don't be so worried about my safety. I know you want to protect me, but there are things more precious to me than myself. If I have to sacrifice my life to protect this world, Soul Society and my nakama, then so be it." Zangetsu was touched by Ichigo's words and feelings. The Zanpakuto had been with Ichigo long enough to know the extent of his resolve, and he could feel that Ichigo was now driven by a resolve that could defeat anyone.

"Very well, I shall put my faith in you Ichigo. Wherever you go I shall go with you." The black haired Zanpakuto returned to Ichigo's inner realm. A few seconds later, the entire underground chamber was shaken by the sounds of explosions coming from above.

"What the hell was that?" asked Ichigo. He got up and ran towards Orihime and Tatsuki to see if they were okay.

"Are you alright Tatsuki, Inoue?" asked Ichigo.

"We're fine," said Tatsuki. "Just a little shaken."

"I was just finishing healing Sado-kun when I felt it," said Orihime. Ichigo saw that Chad's wounds were gone, and he was now resting peacefully.

"You won't believe what's happening on the surface," said Ishida from behind. His appearance surprised his other friends.

"Have you finished your training Ishida?" asked Ichigo.

"Only the first stage. I sensed a severed disturbance of reiatsu in the surface and I went upstairs to check."

"What did you see Ishida?" Ishida went silent at Ichigo's question.

"It's better if you all saw for yourselves." Ichigo, Orihime and Tatsuki followed Ishida up the stairs. When they reached the ground floor they found the entire Urahara Shoten was half destroyed, with the remaining half on fire.

"What the fuck happened here?" asked Ichigo. The four of them ran outside the shop to the neighboring streets. To their utter horror they found almost all of the surrounding buildings had burnt to ashes. Worse, they saw a raging firestorm in the distance, and dark black clouds of ash smothering the sky.

"Karakura Town is…it's gone!" exclaimed Orihime.

"How could this have happened?" asked Tatsuki.

"I believe the source of the destruction is that," said Ishida. He pointed towards the west, where the now raging Mount Fuji was still spewing out flames.

"Mount Fuji was must have erupted as a side effect of the battle between our dads and Azrael. But, I also sense the residual of tremendous spiritual energy surrounding the mountain."

"Azrael must have been responsible for this destruction," said Ichigo. "I can't feel his, Aizen's or the Shitenno's reiatsu. If they're no longer in the real world, then they must have made their moves already." Ishida got out a watch in his shirt pocket and looked at the time.

"It's five in the morning. Your fellow Shinigami nakama are going to begin their operation within the next hour." Ichigo clenched his fists in frustration.

"We're not ready yet. By the time we finish our training, it will already be over."

"There must be some way we can buy more time," said Ishida. He and Ichigo pondered deeply on what they should do as they watched Karakura Town burn around them. After a minute of thinking, Ichigo thought of a brilliant idea.

"I've got it Ishida! We'll open a Senkaimon to Soul Society right now. You and I will enter it, but we won't enter Soul Society. Instead we'll stay in the Dangai passageway," said Ichigo.

"The Dangai passageway? You want us to stay in that dangerous place?" asked Ishida.

"The Dangai has a spiritual density many thousands of times greater than either Soul Society or the real world. It is so dense that time moves by much faster inside. One hour out here is like three months in there."

"I see. If we arrive in Soul Society about an hour after Urahara-san and the others initiate their attack we'll have nearly six months to train inside the Dangai. It's a great idea. I'm all for it." Ichigo, Ishida, Orihime and Tatsuki went back down to the Underground chamber. Orihime healed Ichigo and Ishida's injuries; the two men then proceeded to gather the belongings they needed.

"I'm all set Kurosaki," said Ishida. He was now wearing the two _Sanrei Shuto_ he had shown Ichigo. With both Zanpakuto scabbards strapped to his waist, Ichigo unsheathed Zangetsu and was about to open a Senkaimon when Orihime grabbed his left arm.

"Take me with you Kurosaki-kun," said Orihime.

"You want to go with us Inoue? Why?" asked Ichigo. "

"I want to help out Kurosaki-kun and Ishida-kun as much as I can. I can't stand waiting here while Kuchiki-san and everyone else is heading to battle."

"What about Tatsuki? Are you just going to leave her to care for Chad?"

"I've already spoken to Tatsuki-chan. She said she was fine looking after Sado-kun by herself until he got better." Orihime stared at Ichigo with her large eyes filled with emotion. "I don't want to watch while my world crumbles around me. I want to save it too!"

"Kurosaki, I think Inoue-san will be of great assistance to us in our training," said Ishida.

"You might be right about that." Ichigo took a deep breath. "Alright you can come with us Inoue."

"Thank you Kurosaki-kun," Orihime gave Ichigo a hug. She then watched as the orange-haired Shinigami opened a Senkaimon to Soul Society. The three of them entered the gate, with Ishida and Orihime's bodies converting into reishi. The gate shut behind them and they found themselves walking through the Dangai again. They walked along the passage until they were about halfway through.

"I guess we can sit down here and resume our training," said Ichigo.

"Wait Kurosaki, I sense something coming!" exclaimed Ishida. A few moments later they heard the roaring sound of the Kototsu thundering towards them.

"Oh fuck!" swore Ichigo. "We've screwed up!" He and Ishida got ready to run when all of a sudden Orihime leaped in front of them and held out her hands.

"_Koten Zanshun, _I reject!" yelled Orihime. She fired a single bright yellow arrow of spirit energy at the train.

"What are you doing Inoue?" screamed Ichigo. He was aghast the prospect that Orihime would be engulfed by the Kototsu. To his and Ishida's astonishment, Orihime's attack succeeded in penetrating the Kototsu. Just as the train was about to hit them it vaporized into dust. Ichigo and Ishida were left flabbergasted.

"I…never knew you were capable of something like this Inoue," Ichigo complimented Orihime.

"I trained my powers very hard over the last seven years," said Orihime. "I swore to myself after my experience in Hueco Mundo that I would never become a liability for my nakama ever again."

"Thank you so much for that Inoue. With that annoying train gone, all we have to do is to hold back to the Koryu walls and we can stay here for as long as we want."

"And how do we do that Kurosaki?" asked Ishida.

"My dad taught me the means to halt the Koryu current. I know how to do it, but I don't have the right equipment with me at the moment," said Ichigo.

"Well that is just great. We can't stay here for long then."

"I can stop the walls from encroaching us," said Orihime. She summoned all six of her _Shun Shun Rikka_ and then stretched out her arms to the side. "Shun'o, Ayame, Baigon, Lily, Hinagiku, Tsubaki, _Rokuten Kanshun, _I reject!" In an instant a double layered barrier shaped like a hexagonal polygon appeared, wedging itself between the two walls of the Dangai. The outer barrier repelled the encroaching Koryu current, while the inner barrier both shielded and healed the people inside.

"Amazing," said Ichigo in awe.

"Are you sure you can hold the barrier up Inoue-san?" asked Ishida.

"I can Ishida-kun. I'll hold it up until my spirit energy runs dry. Kurosaki-kun, Ishida-kun, Kuchiki-san and everyone else is risking their lives to protect the world. I want to do the same," said Orihime.

"Thank you Inoue. You've bought us enough time to complete our training. Now then, let's get started Ishida," Ichigo unsheathed both of his Zanpakutos, sat down with his legs crossed, and placed both swords over his lap.

"You don't need to tell me what to do Kurosaki," said Ishida. The Quincy also sat down with his legs crossed. He held out his left hand and spoke the word "_Eröffnen_". He close his eyes as his mind began reliving the memories of his ancestor Siegfried.

"Heh, looks like he's copying me," Ichigo chuckled as he observed Ishida's actions. He turned his mind to his own training. After closing his eyes, he willed his consciousness to travel to the core of his soul, his inner world. A moment later he found himself opening his eyes in a familiar place, a bright sunny city filled with towering skyscrapers. As usual, he was standing on the surface of a skyscraper due to the unusual gravity in his world. Ichigo turned around and saw both Zangetsu and Engetsu perched on flag poles behind him.

"Are you ready to begin the next phase Ichigo?" asked Engetsu. Ichigo got onto his feet and summoned both of his Zanpakutos into his hands.

"Hell yeah. I can't wait to get started," said Ichigo. This pleased Engetsu. The orange-haired female Zanpakuto grinned as she jumped to appear in front of Ichigo. Zangetsu appeared behind her.

"Now then, the next two phases of your training will take a considerable amount of time."

"Is six months enough to complete everything?"

"Six months will be plenty."

"Hurry up and explain to me what we're going to do."

"Hold you horses Ichigo. Before we begin training you need to understand the fundamental secrets of Bankai that only the most powerful captains and Royal Guards know about."

"What do you mean Engetsu-san? Are you saying there is more to Bankai than what I've already been taught?" asked Ichigo.

"Of course. You need to get stronger than a Royal Guard in order to stand a chance at defeating Tsukuyomi, so for starters you need to know how to attain the level that all Royal Guards are capable of reaching. The secret to their power lies in the three forms of Bankai."

"The three forms of Bankai?" Ichigo was confused as he saw Engetsu hold up three fingers.

"The first and most basic form of Bankai is the Giant Bankai. The Giant Bankai is simply the full manifestation of a Shinigami's Zanpakuto on a large scale," said Engetsu. "They represent a five-fold or ten-fold increase in power compared to the Shinigami's Shikai. However, because of their sheer size, Giant Bankais tend to be very hard to control properly. Furthermore the amount of spirit energy it takes to maintain them means that Giant Bankais cannot be used for very long before the wielder runs out of reiatsu." As he heard Engetsu's words, Ichigo remembered Renji's initial Bankai, which was a giant bone snake. He remembered Renji telling him how difficult it was to control the snake's movements, and how he wished his Bankai was smaller and more compact.

"So the Giant Bankai is the simplest form of a Bankai a Shinigami can attain?"

"They are. Giant Bankais generally do not require much skill in order to use. The catch is that they are limited in their utility. Now, the second form of Bankai is called Armor Bankai. This form of Bankai manifests the Zanpakuto spirit as armor over the user's body. This form of Bankai may not increase a Shinigami's power as much as the Giant Bankai does, but it can grant the wielder multiple new abilities. Furthermore, because of their small size, Armor Bankais are easier to control, and less taxing in terms of reiryoku drain. Users of Armor Bankais can maintain them for extended periods."

"Let me guess, my _Tensa Zangetsu_ is an Armor Bankai?" asked Ichigo. Engetsu nodded.

"Like your father's, your Bankai compresses your reiatsu instead of expanding it as Giant Bankais do. This compressions boosts of the power and abilities of your own body. Because of its small size, it does not drain your spirit energy, and therefore you can maintain it for far longer periods than any other Shinigami. In my opinion, you were fortunate to have acquired the most advanced form of Armor Bankai an ordinary Shinigami is capable of. Do you remember what it felt like to finally master it?"

"Yeah it felt great. It was like I had become an entirely different person," said Ichigo. He recalled his final battle with Aizen and how he was capable of demolishing mountains with a single stroke of his blade. "But I was only able to achieve that level because I was a Shinigami/human/hollow hybrid. Now I'm just an ordinary Shinigami. There's no way I could be capable of reaching the same level of power I once attained."

"You're wrong Ichigo. You were able to achieve that level of power because of the potential you had inside of you. That potential has not disappeared. It is still present inside of you." Engetsu pointed her hand at Ichigo's heart. "With my training you will be able to reach that level and surpass it. Furthermore, you will also be able to attain and master the final form of Bankai."

"The final form of Bankai?" Ichigo and Zangetsu were both confused by Engetsu's words.

"In Shinigami lore the final stage of Bankai is called _Keshin_. I like to call it Final Bankai. Whatever you call it, it represents the point where the Shinigami merges fully their Zanpakuto. The merger of the two spiritual entities grants the Shinigami the full extent of the Zanpakuto's power, allow them to surpass the limits of their ordinary selves. When in the _Keshin_ state, the Shinigami's reiatsu and abilities can sometimes be increased by a magnitude of one hundred beyond their base level."

"Are you saying this _Keshin_ state is ten times more powerful than ordinary Bankai?" asked Ichigo. Engetsu nodded with a grin on her face.

"Only the most powerful and experienced Shinigami can achieve and master the _Keshin _state. Those that do are usually inducted into the ranks of the Royal Guard."

"So to be a Royal Guard you have to attain _Keshin_?"

"Yes. All of the Royal Guards are capable of using it. But unlike the other forms of Bankai, _Keshin_ is not something you can use freely. There is a very high risk associated with this form. The sheer amount of power generated by _Keshin_ is so great that most Shinigami cannot handle it. To prevent their bodies from being destroyed, their mind will subconsciously seal away their reiatsu into the core of their Saketsu. Because of this, almost all Shinigami who use _Keshin_ end up losing their powers. It is why only the bravest and most loyal Shinigami are chosen to become Royal Guards. They are expected to sacrifice their powers to protect the Reioh." As he listened to Engetsu's explanation, Ichigo suddenly realized what she was talking about. Zangetsu was also aware of the true meaning behind Engetsu's words. Ichigo saw a worried expression on his Zanpakuto's face.

"Engetsu-san, am I correct in saying that I've already attained the _Keshin_ state before?" asked Ichigo. The satisfied grin on Engetsu's face told Ichigo that he was correct.

"Every Shinigami has their own unique name for their _Keshin_ forms. Yours is called the _Saigo no Getsuga Tensho_. You know yourself the risks associated with it."

"Yeah, I only used it for a short time and I ended up losing my powers for five years."

"That happens to all new users of _Keshin_. They use it once and end up losing their powers. However, there are ways to achieve and maintain _Keshin_ without losing your powers. I'm going to teach you a method designed specifically for you." Before Ichigo could say anything Engetsu powered up into her Bankai state. Zangetsu, knowing full well the kind of training Engetsu was about to give Ichigo, also went into his Bankai state.

"The time for talk is over Ichigo. Let's get started," said Engetsu. "Summon both of your Bankais. You will be fighting the two of us at once." Ichigo was not surprised about this. He had already gone through this sort of training before, fighting against the fused form of Zangetsu and his inner hollow. He knew there would be some differences this time, but he was confident in his own ability to see the training through. He unsheathed both his Zanpakutos, held them in his hands and shouted out "Bankai!" An explosion of black and gold reiatsu obscured his body from view. When he emerged, he was wearing the black cloak and robes of _Tensa Zangetsu_, but his body was also surrounded by the golden aura of _Tensa Engetsu_. In his right hand he wielded a black nodachi blade and his left hand he wielded a golden nodachi blade.

"How does it feel to be using two Bankais?" asked Engetsu.

"It feels awesome," said Ichigo with a grin.

"Are you ready Ichigo?" asked Zangetsu.

"Hell yeah. Come at me, both of you." The two Zanpakutos were pleased at Ichigo's confident attitude. Without hesitation they charged at their master. Ichigo responded with a charge of his own. His two blades clashed with theirs, causing a shockwave of spirit energy that destroyed the skyscraper they had been standing on. Thus began the greatest training Ichigo would ever undergo.

* * *

As the sun started to rise in the east over Soul Society, a group of six Shinigami gathered at the base of the western White Way Gate. Standing in the middle of the group was the Captain Commander Yamamoto Genryusai. On either side of him stood Urahara, Yoruichi, Byakuya and Tessai. Standing behind the Captain Commander were the two lieutenants Rukia and Renji.

"I thought Kenpachi was going to come," said Urahara.

"That man has never known to be punctual," said Byakuya. "I wouldn't be surprised if he arrives an hour late."

"What kind of bullshit are you talking about, pansy noble boy?" said a familiar voice. Everyone turned to the left and saw a tall man wearing a ragged robe emerge from the bushes. Despite the change in his hair style and clothing, he was unmistakably Zaraki Kenpachi. The only noticeable difference everyone saw was the huge sword that was strapped to his back.

"What's with that sword Zaraki Taicho?" asked Renji.

"That's the captain's Zanpakuto," said Ikkaku. Renji's former mentor emerged behind Kenpachi. He was followed by Yumichika. The two 11th division officers looked unkempt and disheveled but Renji could sense inner auras of strength from them.

"All of us underwent brutal training in the mountains. I must say that even a pretty boy like me has toughened up," gloated Yumichika.

"So that sword on your captain's back is his new Zanpakuto? It kind of looks like Ichigo's former sword," said Renji.

"Ken-chan has finally learned his sword's name!" exclaimed Yachiru. The energetic pink haired lieutenant jumped out of Kenpachi's haori and landed on Renji's face.

"Don't blabber things about me Yachiru," said Kenpachi.

"Enough talking!" shouted Yamamoto. He slammed his cane on the ground. "The time has come to commence our attack." The Captain Commander walked up to the gate and pointed his cane at the gate's surface. With a single poke of his cane Yamamoto caused the entire wall to topple backwards and fall down, allowing them entry into Seireitei.

"Don't you think we should have infiltrated Seireitei in a more discrete manner?" asked Yoruichi.

"It would make little difference whether we stormed the front door or entered by a secret passage," said Yamamoto. "If Kenryusai has acted according to my intuition, he probably already used his Zanpakuto to lay down a detection system across the whole of Seireitei. It is likely that he already knows we are coming." As the group of eleven Shinigami made their way past the blown down gate, Yamamoto's prediction proved to be correct when all a sudden a massive lightning bolt struck the ground about ten metres in front of them. In the aftermath of the lightning strike, the figure of the Commander of the Royal Guards Hideyoshi Miyamoto Kenryusai materialized in front of them in a blaze of electricity.

"I knew you would come back here one day Genryusai. But I never thought you would barge in from the front," said Hideyoshi. The old man intensified his reiatsu, and everyone except for Yamamoto started to buckle under the weight of his spiritual pressure.

"Have you brought your group of traitors to surrender yourselves for punishment?"

"You assume too much Kenryusai," laughed Yamamoto. "We have not come back here to be put on trial and summarily executed. We have come to parley." When he heard Yamamoto's words Hideyoshi started laughing.

"Parley? That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard you say. A parley only happens when two parties are in an equal position of strength. Right now all of Seireitei is under my rule. What do you hope to accomplish by negotiating with me?" Yamamoto held out his right hand.

"A truce. I want us to work together. We are not your enemy Kenryusai. All of us have been pawns of a much greater threat. If we do not work together this enemy will destroy Soul Society and the King's Realm." Instead of bursting out in laughter, Hideyoshi was now furious at Yamamoto's words.

"I think you have lost your sanity Genryusai. What you have just said is complete nonsense, and a poor excuse to justify why you and your fellow traitors should not be punished."

"I knew simple negotiation would not work," said Yamamoto with a sigh. He held up his cane and with a thought turned it into a Zanpakuto in a scabbard.

"So you intend to oppose me." Hideyoshi's eyes lit up as he too turned the cane he was using back into its true form. He then unsheathed his Zanpakuto and threw away his scabbard. At this moment, everyone except for Yamamoto fell to their knees as they were suddenly crushed under the weight of an enormous spiritual pressure. Out of the corner of their eyes they saw Hideyoshi's sword crackle with electricity.

"Stand back everyone!" shouted Yamamoto.

"Obliterate all evil with the Light of Heaven, _Raijin Shinsuu_," said Hideyoshi. The release of his Zanpakuto caused the entire sky over Seireitei to darken. Large black thunderclouds formed in an instant and were soon crackling with electric energy. On the ground Hideyoshi's body was bathed in a shimmering aura of yellow electricity. A second later the gravity around Hideyoshi's body intensified, and soon even Yamamoto was struggling to prevent himself from being sucked in.

_What an incredible force. Even my Ryujin Jakka pales in power compared to it. How long has it been since I've experienced an oppressive reiatsu of this magnitude? How long is it has it been since I've felt fear in my heart? Even after two thousand years, he has not lost a fraction of his strength. The only man who has always been superior to me, the wielder of the most powerful Zanpakuto in existence, a Zanpakuto blessed with the power of heaven itself, Raijin Shinsuu…_

"This pressure is killing me!" exclaimed Renji.

"I'm too beautiful to die!" screamed Yumichika. All of the lieutenant-class officers were now lying flat on the ground, their bodies completely crushed by the weight of the spiritual pressure they were experiencing. The other captains weren't faring much better; even Kenpachi was in awe at the reiatsu he was sensing.

"Bringing all of you to trial would be too burdensome. I shall execute you traitors right here instead." Hideyoshi brought his crackling golden sword of lightning above his head. Yamamoto's eyes widened in horror. He knew what was going to happen.

"Tessai, put up your strongest barrier over all of us right now!" shouted Yamamoto.

"Yes Sotaicho!" Tessai hastily began his chant for one of the most powerful forbidden kido spells he ever knew, a barrier spell so complex that its name was almost impossible to read.

"What's happening?" asked Yoruichi. They all looked up to the sky and saw that the dark thunder clouds were about to unleash their fury.

"Be proud to have your souls cleansed by the purifying fury of my lightning," said Hideyoshi. "_Tendo Saiban_!" The thunder clouds hovering above Seireitei reached a critical mass. A second later more than a thousand lightning bolts rained down from the sky. Over half of them were focused upon Yamamoto's group. The intense concentration of nearly a trillion volts of electricity disintegrated a hundred metre section of the ground to a depth of at least thirty metres. Elsewhere, numerous other thunderbolts struck hapless Shinigami, nobles and Seireitei officials. Those who were struck were instantly vaporized into ashes. When at last the rain of thunderbolts stopped and the thunder clouds dispersed, there were cries and screams of agony across Seireitei.

"It is done," said Hideyoshi. Confident that he had eliminated all of the traitorous Shinigami, he turned around and walked in the direction of the Senzaikyu citadel. He only walked a few metres when he sensed the presences of eleven spiritual pressures behind him.

"Impossible…they could not have survived my attack…" stuttered Hideyoshi. The Commander of the Royal Guards looked back at the hole in the ground his _Tendo Saiban_ had created. As the smoke billowing from the hole cleared his eyes widened in shock. Yamamoto and his men were still alive. They were now floating above the hole, surrounded by a sphere of energy. Hideyoshi could not believe what he was seeing.

"No one has ever survived my _Tendo Saiban_," said Hideyoshi. "You and your fellow traitors should not even be alive Genryusai."

"I have to thank Tessai-san for raising a barrier around us all before your lightning hit," said Yamamoto. The Kido Corps captain moved the entire group onto level ground again. The barrier dissipated as Tessai dropped to his knees in exhaustion.

"I've never experienced such an intense concentration of spiritual energy in my life. My _Zettai_ _Kakumau Kanmon_ was a second away from breaking apart," said Tessai. The Shinigami all sensed the disappearance of a large number of souls.

"_Tendo Saiban_, like my _Ennetsu Jigoku_, is an attack that should only be used when there is no other option but to sacrifice everything to defeat an enemy," said Yamamoto. "Are you so desperate to carry out your goal of absolute that you would kill all of the innocent people Seireitei just to execute us, Kenryusai?"

"If it means that all traitors are punished, then I will do whatever means it takes," said Hideyoshi. He clenched his right hand into a fist. "Absolute power. The ability to judge the lives of every single person around you and deal with them as you see fit. You and I are not so different Genryusai. We both possess absolute power in our hands. The only difference between us is how we use it."

"You have truly fallen Kenryusai," said Yamamoto with a sigh. He unsheathed his Zanpakuto and discarded the scabbard. "I shall deal with Hideyoshi by myself. The rest of you must carry out the tasks you were assigned. Now go!"

"You heard the man, let's get the hell out of here," said Urahara. "We don't want to get caught up in the old man's battle." The others followed Urahara's advice and quickly flash stepped away from the vicinity. Hideyoshi paid them no notice.

"Why haven't you gone after them?" asked Yamamoto.

"My fellow Royal Guards can deal with them. I have already alerted them to your group's intrusion. You, as their leader, are the symbol of this nascent rebellion. Should you fall, your insignificant uprising will crumble," said Hideyoshi.

"Those words apply to you as well Kenryusai. If I knock sense into you, your subordinates will also see the light." Yamamoto released his Shikai, causing his sword to be engulfed by smoldering flames.

"Knock some sense into me? You are far too conceited Genryusai. As your senpai, it is I who must teach you a lesson." Hideyoshi concentrated his reiatsu into his Zanpakuto, causing his sword to be bathed with blinding electric currents. He raised his sword above his head. The electric currents running through the blade were released through the tip and soon condensed into a thirty foot long lance of lightning. Yamamoto responded to Hideyoshi's actions with his own move. Holding his sword in his right hand, he channeled his spiritual energy into it. The fires engulfing Yamamoto's Shikai expanded outwards, condensing into a massive flaming sword over twenty times the size of his normal sword.

"Do you feel a sense of nostalgia Kenryusai?" asked Yamamoto with a grin. Hideyoshi smiled.

"Of course. We had duels like this way back when we were young lads. All of them ended me emerging the victor. This duel will have the same result. Prepare yourself Genryusai!" Hideyoshi doubled the size of the thunder lance again and prepared to throw it. Yamamoto raised his flaming sword above his head.

"_Amatsu Raikoyari_!" shouted Hideyoshi.

"_Jigoku Enko Tsurugi_!" shouted Yamamoto. The giant thunder lance and the enormous flaming blade clashed together, creating an explosion of fire and lightning that engulfed a five hundred square metre area of Seireitei. Within seconds, the entire vicinity around the two Shinigami was reduced to a barren wasteland. Neither Hideyoshi nor Yamamoto was injured; their attacks had cancelled each other out before they could do damage to their opponent.

"We should refrain from using our Zanpakutos Kenryusai. If we continue like this, we will destroy all of Seireitei," said Yamamoto.

"Since when did you become so sentimental Genryusai? You were much more reckless in your youth," grinned Hideyoshi. "Still I understand your reasoning. It appears that our Zanpakutos are far too evenly matched. The only way to settle this…is with our fists!" Hideyoshi suddenly threw off his haori and cloak and then proceeded to strip down to his waist. Yamamoto responded with the same actions. Soon both old men were now topless, their heavily scarred and battered torsos exposed to the world. The two of them

"When did you lose your left arm Genryusai?" asked Hideyoshi.

"In a battle seven years ago," said Yamamoto.

"That makes us equally handicapped." Like Yamamoto, Hideyoshi was also missing his left arm from his shoulder socket. However, the absence of their arms mattered little for men of their power. With but a thought both Yamamoto and Hideyoshi turned their Zanpakutos into arms out of fire and lightning respectively.

"This really feels like old times Kenryusai. It has been an eternity since we sparred with our fists alone," said Yamamoto.

"And like those times, it is I who will emerge the victor," retorted Hideyoshi.

"We will see about that!" With an expression of excitement on his face Yamamoto charged at Hideyoshi. He lashed out with a single bone punch at Hideyoshi's face. Hideyoshi countered with the same move. Both men buckled from the impacts as their faces were hit by each other's fists. Shockwaves of spiritual energy spread out from them, causing the ground beneath to rupture and crack.

"Your _Ikkotsu_ is a strong as ever," said Hideyoshi.

"Same to you, Kenryusai," said Yamamoto.

"Why don't we take things up a notch?" Hideyoshi and Yamamoto started using their left arms and soon the two combatants were engaged in a melee battle unlike any other. The clash of their fists was the sound that signalled the beginning of Soul Society's Civil War.

* * *

Comments

The two main events in this chapter are Ichigo and Ishida beginning their 6 months of training in the Dangai and the clash between Yamamoto and Hideyoshi. Also notable is Orihime's feats of destroying the Kototsu and holding back the Koryu. I wanted to give Orihime her spot in the limelight and show how much stronger she's become, and her doing feats that previously only Hougyoku Aizen and Isshin were capable of was perhaps the best way of doing it, whilst maintaining her own pacifistic character.

*Rokuten Kanshun(六天環盾): Means "Spherical Barrier of Six Heaven's Resistance" in Japanese. This is Orihime's ultimate ability, combining all six of her Shun Shun Rikka at once. It basically functions like a negacion field which can repel outside objects and heal the people inside at once. This move is what essentially allows Ichigo and Ishida to train for 6 months in the Dangai

*Three forms of Bankai: Engetsu's exposition to Ichigo on the commencement of their training in the inner world was my opportunity to fully elaborate the concept of Bankai I've been developing since chapter 36. The nature of there being three levels of Bankai mastery allows a quick and easy way for me to separate the strength of every Shinigami who has attained Bankai in neat categories, and also introduce a way for existing characters to logically increase their strength by massive amounts.

-Giant Bankai: As explained by Engetsu, this is the stereotypical form of Bankai where the Shinigami's Zanpakuto manifests itself on a much larger scale compared to the Shikai. Examples of well known giant Bankai are Komamura's Kokujo Tengen Myoo and Mayuri's Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo.

-Armor Bankai: This is the more developed version of Bankai which represents the peak state that most ordinary Shinigami can obtain. These forms of Bankai enhance the powers of the Shinigami, or grant them additional skills and abilities. Examples of well known armor Bankai are Ichigo's Tensa Zangetsu and Hitsugaya's Daiguren Hyorinmaru.

-Keshin (or Final Bankai): First mentioned in chapter 37, Keshin (Avatar or Embodiement) represents the ultimate form a Shinigami can obtain. Those who master Keshin can merge with their Zanpakutos to become ascended beings. Ichigo's Final Getsuga Tensho is perhaps the most famous demonstration of this form in the manga, but Yamamoto's Bankai in chapter 37 is another example of Keshin. Furthermore, the requirement that all Royal Guards must be able to use Keshin is a convenient way to demonstrate the gap in strength between the Royal Guards and the normal captains.

*Kenpachi's sword: Keen readers may notice that Kenpachi's Zanpakuto has changed. More details about this will be revealed in a later chapter.

*Raijin Shinsuu (雷神神数): Means "Thunder God's Divine Law" in Japanese. This is Hideyoshi's Zanpakuto. I intend it to be the most powerful and destructive Zanpakuto in Soul Society's history, with a power surpassing that of Yamamoto's Ryujin Jakka. The meaning of Raijin Shinsuu and its lightning based powers was intended to contrast with the hell-like nature of Ryujin Jakka and its flame based powers.

*Tendo Saiban(天堂裁判): Means "Heaven's Judgment" in Japanese. This move is intended to be Hideyoshi's equivalent of Yamamoto's Ennetsu Jigoku. Though its true power was not shown for plot reasons, Tendo Saiban is so powerful that it can kill every single soul in Soul Society if Hideyoshi makes it large enough. The destructive force of the lightning bolts is enough to kill even Aizen in an instant.

*Amatsu Raikoyari( 天つ雷光槍): Means "Heavenly Thunder Lance" in Japanese. This is one of the trademark offensive moves of Hideyoshi's Raijin Shinsuu

*Jigoku Enko Tsurugi(地獄炎光剣): Means "Hell's Flame Blade" in Japanese. This is Yamamoto's equivalent of Amatsu Raikoyari. It is one of Ryujin Jakka's trademark moves.

*Elemental arms: Both Yamamoto and Hideyoshi have the ability to conver their released Zanpakutos into corresponding elemental limbs. This allows them to fight in CQC to at full power.


	55. Chapter 55: Gods of Flash

Bleach:TheAfterlifeSaga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

*Thanks to **ShadowKnight, Sargerogue, Ignisha, HokkaidoMaster, Ghost 2113** and everyone else who sent in reviews of the last chapter! This is the second chapter of the Civil War Arc. Keen readers of Bleach will know who the focus characters of this chapter will be^^.

* * *

Chapter 55: Gods of Flash

Urahara Kisuke felt the immense spiritual pressures coming from the clash between the two most powerful Shinigami of all time. Despite having already reached the base of the Senzaikyu, his group was still not clear of the shockwaves created by Yamamoto and Hideyoshi's battle.

"Is it okay to leave Genryusai by himself?" asked Tessai.

"What other choice do we have? If we stayed there all of us would have been killed by their spiritual pressures alone. Yamamoto-san entrusted the mission to us. We must carry out his orders," said Urahara.

"It is best if we split up to accomplish our objectives," said Yoruichi. "I'm heading to the Second Division to take control of the Onimitsukidou. That will allow me to find where Shinji and the others are being imprisoned."

"I will assist you in that task Yoruichi-san," said Tessai.

"In that case I will take back the Research and Development Institute," said Urahara. "With the Institute under our control, we'll be able to co-ordinate the defence of Seireitei should Azrael and his forces attack prematurely."

"Kenpachi and I will take back our respective divisions from the Royal Guards," said Byakuya.

"Can I come with you Kuchiki Taicho?" asked Renji. Byakuya nodded.

"What about me Nii-sama?" asked Rukia.

"I want you to contact Ukitake and tell him to summon the other captains for an emergency meeting at the 1st Division Barracks. Once the Royal Guards have surrendered to us we will all meet you there."

"Got it Nii-sama." Rukia nodded.

"Let's go take back Soul Society from those scum!" shouted Kenpachi.

"Yes Taicho!" Ikkaku and Yumichika exclaimed with glee. The ten Shinigami 'renegades' split up and flash stepped in different directions. Each of them had an important task they had to accomplish, if their goal to restore Soul Society and reunite the Gotei 13 was to succeed.

* * *

Yoruichi and Tessai soon neared the Second Division's barracks. They found the entrance blocked by over three dozen Executive Militia troops.

"How do we get past without being spotted?" asked Tessai. Yoruichi thought of a strategy in her head for a moment.

"I'll be the decoy. You sneak into the Maggot's Nest and rescue Shinji and his friends," said Yoruichi.

"Do you plan on fighting your father?" Tessai could tell that Yoruichi was struggling with a heavy emotional weight inside of her.

"I haven't paid him back for what he's done to me."

"You know you don't stand a chance against him alone."

"I'll get Sui Feng to assist me. She'll definitely want to take back her division."

"I have faith in your strategy Yoruichi-san," said Tessai. He and Yoruichi dropped down in the bushes near the gate. Yoruichi gave a hand signal to Tessai, who concealed himself inside an invisible barrier and slowly approached the front gate. When he got within a few metres of the gate, Yoruichi stepped out and allowed herself to be spotted by the Executive Militia. The militia were surprised to see their former commander and their captain's mentor again.

"Yoruichi-sama!" they exclaimed. The militia dropped their guard and allowed Yoruichi to approach them. When she saw that Tessai had managed to sneak in undetected Yoruichi breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hey boys, I'm going to give you a special treat." Before the militia could respond Yoruichi suddenly unleashed a blitz of speed worthy of her title as 'God of Flash'. Within seconds all thirty militia had been knocked unconscious by a flurry of kicks, elbows and punches.

"Yoruichi-sama…" croaked one of the militia as the dark-skinned beauty walked past the gate. Once she got inside the barracks, Yoruichi wasted no time in heading for the secret entrance to the barracks that only she knew about. She opened a hatch on the roof of the barracks and climbed into the vent. The vent shaft led to the division's janitor closet. Yoruichi reached the end of the vent, opened the grate and then dropped down inside. Her sudden appearance caused a familiar face to shriek in surprise.

"Yoruichi-sama!" yelled Sui Feng in surprise and elation. She rushed to embrace her beloved mentor. "I've missed you so much!" Yoruichi noticed her former pupil was wearing the ordinary black clothing of an Executive Militia.

"What happened to you Sui Feng?" asked Yoruichi.

"I…I got stripped of my rank by your father," Sui Feng started sobbing in Yoruichi's arms. "He reduced me to the level of a slave, forced to work in this stinking janitor closet!"

"That fiend!" swore Yoruichi. "How could he do that to you?"

"Where have you been Yoruichi-sama?"

"That's a story I can tell you about later. Right now, how about we try overthrowing my useless father so that you can regain your division?"

"You're serious? I'll do anything you say Yoruichi-sama!" exclaimed Sui Feng excitedly. The two women found some fresh short-sleeved keisen uniforms nearby and changed into them. They then stealthily exited the janitor's closet and made their way towards the captain's office.

"I don't see any people around," said Yoruichi. "Where are all of the troops?"

"You father assigned them to pointless search missions throughout Rukongai. There's barely any Onimitsukidou force members left at the barracks," said Sui Feng. Hearing this made Yoruichi even angrier with her father. She bottled in her hate as they arrived at the captain's office. Without any pretense of stealth they busted the door and forced their way in. Yoruichi's eyes immediately focused on the figure of her father sitting in the captain's chair.

"How uncouth of you to make your return like this my daughter," said Shihouin Ranjana.

"I don't consider you my father anymore," said Yoruichi.

"I want my division back!" yelled Sui Feng in anger. She pointed at Ranjana with her prosthetic left arm, causing the Royal Guard to elicit a surprised a reaction.

"When did you procure that mechanical limb?" asked Ranjana.

"When you demoted me to the status of a janitor. I found several useful items in that closet, one of which is this limb." Sui Feng demonstrated her proficiency with her prosthetic arm by smashing a hole through the table. If the display was intended to be a threat to Ranjana, the Royal Guard showed no signs of being affected. Instead, Yoruichi's father calmly stood up and unwrapped the turban on his head, revealing a bald head with a red dot above his eyes.

"Your protégé lacks manners Yoruichi-chan," said Ranjana. "You should have taught her to be more respectful to her elders."

"As if! I didn't want to become a stickler of antiquated traditions like you father!" shouted Yoruichi. Her words caused Ranjana's facial expression to darken.

"Why Yoruichi? Why did you bring our family's honour into disrepute? I've heard and read all the reports about your actions over the past two hundred years. You assisted a condemned criminal and numerous hollow-Shinigami hybrid experiments escape punishment and in doing so forfeited your rank and status. You allowed a slave from the Feng clan to rise up to become Commander of the Onimitsukidou. You became acquainted with the accursed traitor Shiba Isshin and assisted his equally traitorous son in invading Seireitei to stop another condemned criminal from being executed. And I haven't begun to mention all the things you've done since I came here.

"Why did you show such little respect for our family's honour and tradition? As the Shihouin Princess, you should have set an example for all of our servants and soldiers to follow." Ranjana shook his head in disappointment. "You should have been born a son. At least then I would have had someone to inherit my bloodline. If only your mother hadn't died so young."

"How dare you speak like that about mother?" screamed Yoruichi in anger. Intense yellow spirit energy flared from her body as her reiatsu intensified. "You never showed any love or affection for her! You were so focused in aggrandizing the reputation of our family that you didn't pay attention to mother or me! And I saw how you treated our servants and soldiers in the Onimitsukidou. You treated them all like dirt and mercilessly punished anyone who made even the slightest mistake! Everyone was afraid of you! When I became the head of the clan and the Onimitsukidou, I vowed to myself that I would never follow in your footsteps. I gave the men under my command the love and affection you never gave me. And they loved me for what I did for them. They were so devoted to me that even after returning from my century of exile they were still completely devoted to me. That is the sort of respect you'll never have father!"

Yoruichi's words struck a trigger in Ranjana's emotions. The normally reserved former Head of the Shihouin clan became enraged at his daughter's accusations against him. He screamed at the top of his voice, and Yoruichi and Sui Feng both detected the sudden intensification in his reiatsu.

"Watch out Sui Feng!" Yoruichi called out, mere seconds before the entire captain's officer was engulfed in an explosion of raw spiritual energy. As a plume of smoke billowed out from the gaping hole in the ceiling, Yoruichi and Sui Feng flash jumped onto one of the nearby roof tops. A second later Ranjana appeared behind them. His haori and cape had been half torn to pieces, so with a quick gesture he discarded them, and took off his Shihakusho's Kosode. This not only made him topless but it also revealed the two heavy metallic gauntlets he wore around his arms.

"Yoruichi-sama, those are…" said Sui Feng. Yoruichi nodded.

"Those are Anti-Hierro gauntlets. I wore a special pair of them when I fought Aizen in the Arrancar War. Sui Feng, we must not get hit by them," said Yoruichi. The two women went into fighting stances as Ranjana approached them.

"You're no longer my daughter anymore Yoruichi. I will not stand to see the pride of my clan tarnished by your insolence. I shall find a new heir to the Shihouin clan to inherit my will. Before I do that, you and that Feng woman will die by my hand." Ranjana's gauntlets glowed with spirit energy. The Royal emitted a blast of reiatsu that caused Yoruichi and Sui Feng to buckle.

"Such a spiritual pressure!" exclaimed Sui Feng.

"This is the power of a Royal Guard Sui Feng. Don't get overwhelmed by it," said Yoruichi. "Watch out he's coming!" In a flash Ranjana appeared in front of them and thrust his right fist at the ground beneath their legs. His attack demolished a fifteen foot section of the roof and the building under it. Yoruichi and Sui Feng emerged from the attack unscathed and together they launched a synchronized karate kick at Ranjana's face. The Royal Guard hastily blocked both their kicks with his arm guards.

"Those kicks weren't bad. And your synchronization was perfect," said Ranjana. "If there is one thing I want from you before you die Yoruichi, it is to see if you lived up to my legacy as a master of Hakuda."

"Oh I'm sure we won't disappoint you father," said Yoruichi with a grin. She and Sui Feng struck out with their other legs. Ranjana dodged their attack and reappeared in mid-air. The two women chased after him and soon an intense hand to hand battle began. From the roof tops of the central Second division barracks, the fight slowly advanced towards the mountain range where the Maggot's Nest was located. Yoruichi and Sui Feng unleashed their most furious combination of punches and kicks, but they were effortlessly blocked by Ranjana, who counter-attacked with his own punches and kicks. Whilst this was going on, all three combatants were moving at hypersonic speed, flash stepping in and out of space.

* * *

As the battle between Yoruichi, Sui Feng and Ranjana raged, Tsukabishi Tessai had succeeded in infiltrating the Maggot's Nest. The Kido Corps captain tiptoed down the stairs to the entrance to the main lair. He crept up to the door and opened it slightly in order to check if there were any guards inside. To his relief, there was no guard present. Tessai burst into the main chamber and ran across it until he reached the confinement cells. He ran past numerous cells and down several levels until he sensed the several familiar spiritual presences nearby.

"Yes I've found them!" exclaimed Tessai in delight when he finally reached the cells that were holding his nakama captive. In seven separate cells sat four captains and three lieutenants, former victims of Aizen's hollowfication experiments, who once belonged to the group called the 'Visored'. To Tessai all of them were familiar faces.

"Shinji, Kensei, Love, Rose, Hachi, Lisa, Mashiro!" Tessai reeled off all of their names. His voice caused their sullen forms to stir. Shinji was the one to open his eyes.

"T, Tessai?" asked Shinji in a hoarse voice.

"I've come to free you guys," said Tessai. He proceeded to undo the locks on their cells with dismantling kido. Then he handed each of them fresh Shihakusho to wear.

"What's happening outside Tessai-san?" asked Love.

"Yamamoto-san and Kisuke have launched an assault to retake Seireitei from the Royal Guards. I came here to stop you guys from being executed," said Tessai.

"What, Kisuke is back?" Shinji's eyes widened in astonishment.

"Yoruichi-san as well?" asked Rose.

"What the heck happened in the real world?" asked Kensei.

"I'll fill you guys in on the details later. Right now we need to get out of this place," said Tessai. The Kido Corps captain led his nakama from their confinement cells to the entrance of the Maggot's Nest. As they neared the exit, they felt intense clashes of reiatsu nearby.

"What is happening outside?" asked Lisa.

"It must be Yoruichi-san and Sui Feng Taicho. They must be fighting the Royal Guard Shihouin Ranjana," said Tessai.

"Should we help them?" asked Mashiro.

"No, I think we should wait here until they are finished," said Shinji. "I know Ranjana very well. He's the sort of guy who would crush anyone who tried to interfere in his fight."

* * *

Ranjana landed a seismic punch at the water beneath Yoruichi and Sui Feng's feet. The fight between the three masters of Hakuda had reached the large lake outside the Maggot's Nest. Ranjana's punch created a shockwave that caused a huge mass of water to rise up some hundred metres into the sky. Yoruichi and Sui Feng landed some distance away. The two women were already covered with bruises all over their bodies, while Ranjana himself had not received a scratch.

"What should we do Yoruichi-sama? This guy is even better than us at Hakuda," said Sui Feng.

"Don't get flustered Sui Feng. The only reason he's doing better than us is because of those gauntlets he has. As long as he's wearing them our punches and kicks will do no damage. We'll have to destroy them first," said Yoruichi.

"And how will we do that?" Sui Feng's question answered itself when Yoruichi suddenly initiated _Shunko_. A sparkling aura of white spiritual energy engulfed her shoulders, chest and arms to form some sort of electrical armour. Sui Feng saw what her mentor was doing and proceeded to initiate her own _Shunko_. Due to her lack of experience Sui Feng's _Shunko_ was not as dense as Yoruichi's but her torso and arms were nevertheless surrounded by a dense aura of white spiritual energy. Their displays of power impressed Ranjana.

"I am impressed Yoruichi. I did not think you had mastered _Shunko_ to that level."

"You haven't seen what we can do with it father!" yelled Yoruichi. She and Sui Feng flash stepped in front of the Royal Guard and lashed out at him with two _Shunko_ powered kicks. Ranjana attempted to block with his gauntlets but were instantly shattered by the force of the _Shunko_. Yoruichi and Sui Feng then followed up with two _Shunko_ powered kicks at Ranjana's waist that sent him crashing into a cliff, causing an avalanche of rocks to momentarily bury him. A second later the rubble was blasted away by a wave of reiatsu and Ranjana emerged. He was bleeding from his mouth and there were burn marks across his waist.

"I don't believe it, we barely injured him," said Sui Feng in disbelief. Ranjana wiped the blood from his mouth away and smiled smugly at the two women.

"Despite your impressive performance, you still have not reached my level of power Yoruichi," said Ranjana. "I'll show you how to truly use _Shunko_!" Yoruichi and Sui Feng gasped as Ranjana's entire body was suddenly engulfed by a dense crackling aura of white lightning. So intense was the _Shunko_ surrounding his body that the aura started shimmering.

"His _Shunko_ covers his entire body!" exclaimed Sui Feng. Before she or Yoruichi were prepared, Ranjana suddenly attacked at lightning speed. His initial attack created an explosion that threw up most of the water in the lake to a height of some two hundred metres. Yoruichi and Sui Feng narrowly escaped the attack by flash stepping onto the plateau overlooking the Maggot's Nest. Ranjana caught up with them a second later. The two women tried to attack him with their own _Shunko_ powered attacks but their punches and kicks did not even faze the Royal Guard one bit. Ranjana responded by smashing his right fist at Sui Feng, who tried to shield herself by raising up both her arms. It made no difference, as the Royal Guard's attack sent Sui Feng crashing into a cliff some hundred metres away.

"Sui Feng!" shouted Yoruichi. Her brief moment of panic caused her to drop her guard. Ranjana landed a swift roundhouse kick at her face, sending her skidding for a hundred metres along the ground.

"How disappointing. Is that the best you and your protégé have to offer?" asked Ranjana. He walked towards his daughter, who was still lying face down on the ground. "You haven't lived up to my legacy in any shape or form my daughter. It disappoints me greatly." Ranjana unsheathed his Zanpakuto and held it in his right hand. "It is over now Yoruichi."

"GET AWAY FROM HER YOU BASTARD!" screamed Sui Feng. The petite captain of the 2nd division advanced towards Ranjana with grim determination on her face. Despite her right arm having almost been dislocated from the punch, she still managed to unsheathe her sword.

"Sting all enemies to death, _Suzumebachi_," said Sui Feng. Her Zanpakuto changed into a gold and black gauntlet that covered her lower right arm and hand, with a foot long 'stinger' that covered her middle finger, linked to the gauntlet by a chain. Ranjana saw her released Zanpakuto and started laughing.

"Do you seriously think you could hit me with that puny weapon?" asked the Royal Guard. Sui Feng did not bother responding. Instead she used her Shunpo to create fifteen clones of herself. The clones all rushed at Ranjana. The Royal Guard flexed his reiatsu and blasted away most of the clones with _Shunko_. However, the real Sui Feng succeeded in penetrating his guard and landed a direct hit upon his stomach with her stinger. A second later a hornet-shaped crest mark called a '_Homonka_' appeared from the spot where the stinger struck

"I've got you now," said Sui Feng with a grin. "_Nigeki __Kessatsu_!" She retracted her stinger from Ranjana's body and thrust it into the _Homonka_ again. To Sui Feng's shock, nothing happened to Ranjana.

"Impossible, I should have killed you with that!" exclaimed Sui Feng. Ranjana smiled smugly as he grabbed Sui Feng by the throat.

"As I said before, did you seriously think you could hit me with that puny weapon? Your Zanpakuto evidently secretes a powerful poison that breaks down the reishi bonds holding an opponent's body together. However, a person with enough reiatsu can easily staunch the flow of the poison and expel it.

"No…" cried Sui Feng in despair. She cursed the fact her attack failed in the same way it did when she fought Aizen.

"Still you possess a dangerous ability, Feng woman. I must not take any chances in disposing of you. Divine fist of wisdom, _Amitabha_!" Ranjana's Zanpakuto disintegrated and transformed into a set of white gloves covered with Sanskrit. The gloves caused his hands to be surrounded by a dense aura of power. As he held Sui Feng by the throat with his left hand, Ranjana placed his right hand upon her chest. Yoruichi, who had by now recovered from her father's attack, saw what was happening and ran towards Ranjana in desperation.

"Father don't!" yelled Yoruichi as she ran towards him.

"_Keimo No Ken_!" A blinding white light shot out from Ranjana's right hand that engulfed Sui Feng's body. In an instant, Sui Feng's body vanished.

"NOOO!" screamed Yoruichi in anguish.

"It is finished," said Ranjana. "The woman who was your protégé no longer exists anymore." His words caused the already emotionally devastated Yoruichi to tip over the edge. The normally laid back and carefree Shihouin princess awakened the fire of rage that had lain dormant inside of her. An incredible aura of purple spirit energy engulfed her body as her reiatsu intensified.

"How…dare you…kill my beloved Sui Feng!" shouted Yoruichi in anger. She pulled out two short swords that had been strapped to her waist and held them in her hands. "Slice everything to pieces, _Adachigahara_!" The short swords in her hands lengthened into four foot long scimitars with curved blades ending in pointed edges, and oval hand guards embossed with the Shihouin clan symbol and semi-circular handles which fitted the shape of Yoruichi's hands perfectly. The release of her Zanpakuto caused Ranjana to ponder a bit in contemplation.

"_Adachigahara_…I haven't seen you use it since you were but a child Yoruichi," said Ranjana. "You told me you hated using a Zanpakuto and preferred hand to hand combat."

"That's right father. You must know how dangerous my Zanpakuto is. The fact I'm using it for the first time shows you I'm serious I am at killing you!" Yoruichi charged at Ranjana and slashed at him with the scimitar in her right hand. Ranjana narrowly dodged the attack, but the force of Yoruichi's swing was enough to slice through nearly a hundred metres of solid rock in an instant.

"I had forgotten how deadly your _Adachigahara _is. Twin scimitars that can cut through anything, and blade edges which secret a deadly poison capable of killing a grown man within seconds," said Ranjana.

"Why don't you give my blade a try father?" Yoruichi unleashed a flurry of swings with her twin swords, to the point where the attacks resembled a whirlwind. Ranjana backed away from her attacks, dodging each swing that looked like it was going to cut him.

"How troublesome," said Ranjana. After taking a dozen steps back the Royal Guard stood his ground and caught both of Yoruichi's swords with his hands. "Your twin scimitars are indeed deadly, but they are useless if they can break easily." With a flex of reiatsu in his hands Ranjana caused the blade of each scimitar to shatter. Yoruichi was so surprised at seeing her Zanpakutos break that she lowered her guard, allowing her father to land a heavy punch at a waist that knocked the wind out of her. Yoruichi fell onto her knees and coughed up blood. She doubled over in pain, as she felt her entire insides had been demolished by her father's punch.

"This is the end my daughter. There will be no one to save you," said Ranjana. He prepared to land another punch, one with enough force to obliterate her daughter. At this moment woman's voice could be heard shouting out "Bankai!" Ranjana turned around in shock as he saw Sui Feng emerge from the ground below. Despite being covered with blood from head to toe due to the numerous wounds she had suffered she was still alive and well. Her small arm stinger had now transformed into a giant gold and black missile launched that was strapped to her right arm. Her left arm was missing; in its place was a heavy metal sash tied around her shoulder socket, with the other end tied around a large boulder.

"Impossible, how are you still alive? I thought I disintegrated you!" exclaimed Ranjana.

"_Utsusemi_," grinned Sui Feng. "I used my prosthetic arm as a decoy to trick you into thinking you had killed me. Then I hid myself underground and prepared my Bankai, _Jaikuho __Raikoben_. Now I have you in my firing line. There is no escape Shihouin Ranjana!" She aimed her missile launcher at Ranjana and waited until her targeting reticule had locked onto to the Royal Guard. Then, with but a thought, she fired twelve foot long missile at Ranjana.

"Are you insane woman? Are you willing to kill your mentor just to defeat me?" screamed Ranjana.

"I'm fine with dying along with you father," said Yoruichi in a hoarse voice. His daughter's words caused Ranjana to panic. Sensing that he wouldn't be able to escape the mission in time, the Royal Guard intensified his spiritual pressure and shouted out "Bankai!" Within seconds his body grew in size until he was as tall as a four storey building. He grew hair that was shaped in the style of a Buddha, and his lower hakama changed into a baggy loincloth that hung around his waist. His entire body was now solid gold in colour and he radiated an immense golden aura of reiatsu.

"That's…_Amitabha __Daibutsu_!" exclaimed Yoruichi in awe. She watched in astonishment as the giant form of Ranjana caught Sui Feng's missile with his bare hands and then with a mighty road threw the missile into the air. A second later _Jaikuho __Raikoben_ detonated in an immense oval shaped explosion over two hundred metres wide. The shockwaves from the explosion blew both Sui Feng and Yoruichi away, causing them to land on opposite ends of the plateau.

"I…don't believe it. He caught my missile like it was nothing," said Sui Feng in despair.

"That was close. You almost had me there woman," Ranjana glared at Sui Feng. His hands were now sizzling from the side effects of catching the missile. "I'm going to reduce you to ashes, and this time, there will be no fake arm to protect you!" He charged an incredible amount of spirit energy into his right hand. The energy condensed into a three foot wide sphere. Yoruichi saw what was happening knew she had to act. Willing her battered, bleeding body off the ground, Yoruichi got to her feet and shouted out "Bankai! _Adachigahara __Asura_!". An incredible aura of purple spiritual energy surrounded Yoruichi, as her body also grew in size until she was as large as her father. Four arms grew out of from her shoulder, each carrying giant sized versions of her Shikai scimitars. Before Ranjana could fire his energy attack at Sui Feng. Yoruichi suddenly jumped behind him and grabbed him around the waist. Her four additional arms stabbed into her father's back and secreted a poison that completely immobilized Ranjana's body.

"What are you doing Yoruichi?" screamed Ranjana.

"I'm ending this once and for all!" yelled Yoruichi. "Sui Feng, now's the chance! Use the other form of your Bankai, the one you've been struggling to master!"

"But Yoruichi-sama, I've never used it properly before!" protested Sui Feng.

"It doesn't matter! I can't hold my father like this for long!"

"I…I'll do it Yoruichi-sama." Sui Feng got onto her feet again. She turned her Bankai's frame into pure reishi for a moment before reconfiguring her Bankai's form. She covered her shoulder blades with a gold and black metallic armour that acted like a chassis for a new launcher, a ten foot long gold and black cannon that perched upon her right shoulder. The main chamber of the cannon contained a targeting system and a handle with a trigger, while a slender barrel extended from the chamber for about five feet.

"_Jaikuho __Raikoben,_ _Stinger __Mode_!" shouted Sui Feng.

"What kind of Bankai is that?" asked Ranjana. The Royal Guard was now sweating all over his golden form at Sui Feng's cannon.

"It's a railgun father," said Yoruichi with a grin on her face. "It fires a high density laser beam that can pierce through even the strongest of Kido barriers. Anyone hit by the beam will die instantly." When he heard Yoruichi's words Ranjana panicked and tried to break free of her grasp.

"Are you trying to get both of us killed Yoruichi?"

"I'm fine with that. If I die with you, I can get revenge upon you and atone for my sins." Yoruichi stared at Sui Feng, who seemed hesitant at firing her Bankai. "Do it Sui Feng! I've got my father pinned down! Shoot us both in the middle!"

"But you'll die Yoruichi-sama!" cried Sui Feng.

"Don't worry about me. I'll live on in your heart even when I'm gone." Yoruichi's smile eased the pain in Sui Feng's heart. With renewed resolve and determination, Sui Feng began charging her Bankai cannon's laser. Ranjana tried to make a final desperate attempt to escape Yoruichi's grasp but Yoruichi stubbornly held onto her father. After about ten seconds the cannon finished charging. Sui Feng pressed the trigger and fired a concentrated yellow laser beam surrounded a spiraling current of energy. The corkscrew like beam penetrated right through Ranjana and Yoruichi's waist before hitting the spirit barrier that surrounded Seireitei. The impact created a titanic explosion over a hundred metres wide that sent shockwaves rippling along the barrier and causing the top of the outer walls to fall down.

Sui Feng panted heavily. Maintaining her Bankai's armor form and firing the laser cannon had completely drained her spirit energy. Her Bankai disappeared, causing her Zanpakuto to revert to its sealed state. Sui Feng dropped it on the ground beside and half ran, half stumbled towards the fallen bodies of Yoruichi and Ranjana. Both of them had returned to their normal selves; being hit by the laser beam had dispersed their Bankais.

"Yoruichi-sama!" cried Sui Feng as she knelt beside her beloved mentor. She touched Yoruichi's arm and tried to feel for signs of life. There was initially no life force coming from Yoruichi. But after a while Sui Feng sensed a weak reiatsu coming from Yoruichi's heart. Her eyes brightened up when she saw Yoruichi stir awake. At the same time Ranjana's body started moving too and it became apparent that Sui Feng had not killed the two Shihouins with her Bankai.

"Yoruichi-sama!" yelled Sui Feng in joy when Yoruichi opened her eyes.

"I'm…still alive?" asked Yoruichi in amazement. She slowly lifted herself up. As she did so, she saw that her father was also alive too. He had opened his eyes but his body was too badly injured to move. Sui Feng hugged her right arm around Yoruichi.

"I am so glad you are still alive Yoruichi-sama," Sui Feng started crying. Yoruichi glanced down at her waist. Though there was a gaping hole the size of a small rock right through her stomach, she was still alive, much to her disbelief. She stared at her father, who was staring up at the sky in contemplation.

"You know, I could have saved myself and let you die Yoruichi," said Ranjana. "But something at the last minute changed my heart. I decided to protect us both from that final attack by briefly making my body and your body intangible."

"Why did you do that father? You said you were going to kill me for disgracing the clan," said Yoruichi. Ranjana stared up at his daughter and smiled.

"You and Sui Feng have changed me Yoruichi-chan. You showed me what love and affection can do to one's resolve and determination to fight. You made me see what I lost long ago. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You've brought me back." Yoruichi was so overwhelmed with happiness that she embraced her father.

* * *

Comments

This is the first of four chapters focusing on the four other loyalist Royal Guards and their relationship with their respective Gotei 13 counterparts.

*Ranjana's fighting style: Ranjana's use of Shunko to cover his entire body and preference for dynamic punches is intended as a homage to the Raikage A in Naruto.

*Amitabha: Amitabha is the name of the principal buddha of the "Pure Land" sect of Buddhism that is practised across East Asia. In some respects, he is the buddha that is featured in the Buddhist shrines in Japan, China and Korea. He is known in Japan as Amida Nyorai. I chose this name for Ranjana's Zanpakuto because it went well with the associations Ranjana himself has with Buddhism.

*Keimo No Ken(啓蒙拳): Means "Fist of Enlightenment" in Japanese. This is one of the abilities of Ranjana's Shikai. As its name alludes, this ability allows Ranjana to fire 'buddhist fists' of energy at his enemies.

*Adachigahara(安達が原): Named after a large plain in the province of Mutsu in Japan, said to be haunted by a cannibal goblin in the form of an old woman. This is the name of Yoruichi's Shikai. There is nothing really symbolic about the Zanpakuto name; I just really liked how the name sounds. (One of the Royal Guards featured in my previous work Bleach: After the War also went by this name).

*Amitabha Daibutsu: This is Ranjana's Bankai. It's a logical extension of the Shikai in that it manifests the full Daibutsu (buddha statue). The appearance that Ranjana assumes in his Bankai form is intended as a homage to Sengoku in One Piece.

*Adachigahara Asura(安達が原阿修羅): This is the name of Yoruichi's Bankai. The same themes associated with Ranjana crop up here, with an Asura being one of the lowest deities of Buddhist (also the name of one of the Six Paths of Buddhism). Though not shown in this battle, Yoruichi's Bankai form grants a huge increase in her physical strength, speed and destructive power.

*Jaikuho Raikoben Stinger Mode: This is the armor form of Sui Feng's Bankai. Since her default Bankai is a giant bazooka missile, it was appropriate that her more refined Armor Bankai should take the form of a railgun. Though for obvious plot reasons the true power of Stinger Mode is not shown, the energy beam fired by the railgun is powerful enough to instantly kill any person hit by it.


	56. Chapter 56: Sins of the Scientist

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

*Thanks to **Wolfkey, Ghost 2113, Sargerogue, Shadowknight, HokkaidoMaster** and every one else who sent in reviews of the previous chapter!

*From now on, new chapters are likely to be updated every week or even longer intervals, as things are getting busy in my personal life. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Chapter 56 Sins of a Scientist

"It looks like the battle is over," said Shinji. He and the six other Visoreds who had been freed from their cells in the Maggot's Nest by Tessai had waited at the entrance while the intense battle between Yoruichi, Sui Feng and the Royal Guard Shihouin Ranjana had raged. After being rocked by an incredible explosion nearby, they sensed the reiatsu of the three combatants drop rapidly.

"Who won?" asked Rose.

"Yoruichi-san and Sui Feng Taicho are both alive, and so is Shihouin Ranjana," said Tessai. "It seems that they were able to win Ranjana-san over."

"Then this marks the first step in our revolution doesn't it?" said Kensei. The group of eight exited the Maggot's Nest and flash stepped to the site of the battle. All of them were stunned at the devastation around them. The entire plateau overlooking the lake and the entrance to the Maggot's Nest had been all but demolished, and in the distance they could see a crater near Seireitei's outer wall. Tessai and Hachi bent down and inspected Yoruichi and Ranjana.

"How are they Hachi?" asked Tessai.

"They both have serious injuries, especially the wounds through their midriff," said Hachi.

"We'll take them to the 4th Division General Relief Station." Tessai and Hachi hauled Yoruichi and Ranjana onto their shoulders and flash stepped away.

"What about Sui Feng?" asked Love.

"I'm fine," answered the 2nd Division captain. She was exhausted and missing her left arm again, but compared to Yoruichi and Ranjana her injuries were not as severe.

"I'm glad Tessai-san was able to free you from the Maggot's Nest," said Sui Feng with a smile. "Now you guys won't be executed."

"Kisuke must have had a hand in this rescue operation," said Shinji. "Where is he now?"

"I…don't know. Yoruichi-sama didn't tell me the specifics of the plan."

"There's been something that's been nagging at the back of my head too," said Lisa. She walked up to Shinji. "What happened to Hiyori-chan? She wasn't thrown in prison like the rest of us were."

"You're right, I've been worried about Hiyori too." Shinji looked at the sky and wondered whether Hiyori was alright.

* * *

Urahara crept along the rear wall of the Research and Development Institute until he found the spot where he knew the hidden underground passage into the Institute was located. In order to mask his presence, he had put on the black reiatsu concealing cloak he had last worn over a century ago when he was saving Shinji and the others from hollowfication. The cloak was as useful as ever. When complemented by a camouflage Kido, Urahara was rendered almost completely invisible to the guards that were patrolling the streets around the Institute.

"Let me see…the entrance is here somewhere," said Urahara. He rubbed the edge of a tile and found small knob to the side that allowed him to life the tile up, revealing a ladder going down into the sewers. Before descending down the ladder he made sure to cover the entrance with the tile again. Once that was done he dropped all the way down to the bottom and soon found himself in one of the many underground sewer passages crisscrossing Seireitei. Urahara got out his Danreishinki again and opened up the interactive map. After pressing some buttons he managed to pin-point the sewer passage leading to the secret entrance into the Institute.

"Hopefully they haven't discovered this entrance yet," said Urahara to himself. He put his soul phone back into his robes. "Here goes nothing." Pulling his cloak's hood over his head, he dashed through the sewers until he arrived at another ladder leading up to the entrance. He climbed the ladder up to the top and slowly pushed open the grate covering the entrance. To his relief, he found himself in an abandoned storage closet located in a dilapidated part of the Institute that had not been rebuilt over the past six months. As he exited the storage closet and walked into a desolate hallway, Urahara remembered he had ordered all of his men to evacuate from this area and imposed a quarantine around it after he had deemed this part of the Institute too unsafe to work in. In hindsight, it was a good strategic decision, as all of the security cameras located in the hallways were now inoperative.

"So far, so good, now to find out if I can reach the central communications hub undetected," said Urahara. The sly captain of the 12th division snuck his way across the Research and Development Institute. He crept along walls and ducked under the windows of labs. He climbed through two more vents that bypassed significant portions of the facility and led directly to the main hub building which contained the control room for Seireitei's communication systems. He arrived at the corridor beside the entrance into the control room and waited as a random scientist and security guard was about to end his shift. Urahara watched as the scientist opened the door, and headed into the corridor. In a quick and sudden action Urahara knocked the man out with a swift uppercut to the neck. He then dragged the unconscious body into a side room and locked the door. When he peered into the control room again, he found the coast was clear.

"This is strange. I would have thought there would be more people guarding this place," said Urahara. He didn't dwell on this curiosity for long, deciding to enter the control room. Scanning the large chamber one more time for other spiritual presences, Urahara walked up to the massive array of computer systems that monitored Seireitei's security network. He found the main control board and brought up the login screen. It was easy for him to enter in the correct password, as he had memorized nearly all of the fifty thousand different possible combinations for the password in his head.

"Bingo," said Urahara as he succeeded in bringing up the main desktop operating system. Just as he was about to use the nearby mouse to open up the control hub program he felt a sword pressed against the side of his neck.

"I've got you at last Urahara Kisuke," said a familiar voice. Urahara recognised it as belonging to the Royal Guard and former captain of the 12th division Hikifune Kirio. He tried to flash step away, only to find his movements had been totally sealed off a barrier trap located right under his feet.

"Ha, ha, looks like I fell for your trap Kirio-san," laughed Urahara. "I should have suspected something was off when I was able to sneak around the facility without being spotted."

"I knew you were coming, thanks to Hideyoshi-sama's warning. That is why I lowered the defences around the Institute to make you think the place wasn't guarded."

"Nice thinking. I would have done the same thing if I were in your position."

"Any last words before I execute you?" asked Hikifune. The black-haired Royal Guard tightened her grip on her Zanpakuto. Despite the situation he was in, Urahara remained calm and composed. He took a deep breath.

"I didn't come here to fight Kirio-san; I came here to negotiate."

"Negotiate? What a ridiculous idea!" scoffed Hikifune. "Are you and your fellow traitors planning to surrender yourselves up quietly?"

"No, we have come here to make a truce with you guys," said Urahara. "This petty conflict between you Royal Guards and us captains has all arisen because some unfortunate misunderstandings about certain things. Unless they are cleared up, Soul Society will be vulnerable to attack from the true enemy that has been responsible for causing this rift between our two organizations."

"Misunderstandings? True enemy? I don't understand a word you are talking about Urahara Kisuke!" exclaimed Hikifune. "Those are the excuses of a traitor and a criminal who refuses to repent for his crimes! You don't deserve to live any longer. I shall execute you right now!" Hikifune stabbed her blade through Urahara's neck and then in a semi-circular stroke chopped his head clean from his body. She heard his head land on the ground with a satisfying bump. Hikifune's elation didn't last long however, for a second later Urahara's body 'popped' like a balloon, followed by his head.

"What the hell is this?" screamed Hikifune in a rage. Her fury at seeing the body of her enemy suddenly vanish caused her to lower her guard. She failed to sense the real Urahara sneak up on her until he placed his hand upon her shoulder.

"Don't be so hasty Kirio-san. Didn't I say I came here to negotiate?" asked Urahara. Hikifune lashed out at him with her sword again, but Urahara calmly flash stepped backwards.

"How did you do that? I was certain I had killed you!" Hikifune's anger turned into shock when Urahara showed her what looked like a Gikongan in his hand.

"This is a portable gigai. I can switch my soul between different gigais at will."

"Are you telling me what I just destroyed was a gigai?" Hikifune's body was shaking in anger. Raw spiritual pressure, black in colour, leaked out of her body. "You have some nerve to defy me Urahara Kisuke. You turned my former division into a madhouse full of demented scientists, and you ruined the life of my beloved Hiyori-chan! You think I'll forgive you for such crimes?" Hikifune's body exploded reiatsu, forcing Urahara to take a step back.

"Looks like I have no choice but to defend myself," said Urahara with a sigh. He took off his reiatsu-concealing cloak and pulled out his cane sword.

"I'll show you why I was named the pre-eminent inquisitor of Soul Society two hundred years ago. Submit, _Kaikoimono_!" A bright light engulfed Hikifune's body, causing Urahara to cover his eyes.

* * *

At the same moment, Rukia arrived at the 13th division barracks. The guards at the entrance were delighted to see her.

"Kuchiki Fukutaicho!" they exclaimed. "It's great to see you again!"

"It's good to see you guys too," said Rukia. "Where is the captain?"

"He's in his quarters. Do you want us to take you to him?"

"No I'll be fine by myself." After the guards let her inside Rukia dashed through the barracks until she reached the captain's office. She found her captain Ukitake slumped at his desk. He looked a bit disheveled and slightly worse for wear.

"Taicho!" exclaimed Rukia. Her voice shocked her captain awake.

"Kuchiki! You're back!" shouted Ukitake in amazement. "I was so worried about you." He got out of his chair and walked towards Rukia. "How was your mission?"

"I can debrief you about it later Taicho. Right now I have a message from Yamamoto Sotaicho himself," said Rukia.

"Genryusai has come back? Quick, show me the message Kuchiki!" Upon Ukitake's orders Rukia got out her Danreishinki and played back the video she recorded of the Captain Commander during the planning session they had at Shiba Kukaku's old house. A holographic image of Yamamoto appeared.

"_To all captains and lieutenants of the Gotei 13, heed my words. An ancient enemy of unimaginable power has returned. It aims to breach the King's Realm and kill the Reioh. Should it succeed Soul Society and the real world will both be destroyed. Only a united Gotei 13, allied with the Royal Guard, is capable of stopping the enemy. I am leading the exiled captains and lieutenants back to Seireitei for the express purpose of achieving this goal. I call upon all captains and lieutenants to aid me in this cause. However, should we succeed in reuniting the Gotei 13 and ally with the Royal Guards, our victory is not certain. War is upon us, and Seireitei stands on the brink of destruction._

_"To the senior captains, Jushiro, Shunsui, Retsu, I entrust you with special orders. The three of you should co-ordinate with the other captains to mobilize the full might of the Gotei 13. Summon every available Shinigami in reserve. Also, I need you to prepare evacuation procedures for the nobles and other officials inside Seireitei. Direct them to the underground shelters we have spent the past six months building. I want to ensure that as few civilians are caught up in the ensuring conflict. I put my complete trust and faith in you…_"

"What…what is Genryusai talking about? Is Soul Society about to be invaded?" asked Ukitake. At this point, Rukia filled her captain in on everything she and Ichigo had witnessed in their journeys in the real world, including the fateful confrontation under Mount Fuji. When she was finished, Ukitake was alarmed but not devastated.

"So, Isshin-san is dead huh," said Ukitake. "And the Shitenno and Aizen have joined forces with Prince Tsukuyomi, who now calls himself 'Lord Azrael'." Rukia nodded

"Urahara-san said that Azrael and his forces may attack any time soon."

"What about Ichigo-san? Where is he?"

"He's currently training to master some sort of secret power Urahara-san says will give him the ability to defeat Azrael," said Rukia. "I don't know how long it will take."

"Well, we cannot wait for him to finish. If what you say is true, we have little time to prepare. I will send word to Shunsui and Unohana immediately. You should go and contact the other lieutenants."

"Yes Ukitake Taicho," said Rukia. The two of them exited the office and were about to head off for the other divisions when they suddenly felt an explosion from the Research and Development Institute.

"What was that?" asked Rukia.

"It appears that a battle has erupted at the 12th division barracks," said Ukitake.

* * *

A large plume of smoke marked the place where a powerful explosion had carved a twenty metre wide crater in the middle of the central communications room. By sheer luck the communications hub at the front of the room had emerged unscathed. The first to emerge from the smoke was the long black-haired glasses wearing Royal Guard Hikifune Kirio. She was holding what resembled a black antique handgun in her right hand and a long flexible black whip with spikes in her left hand.

"Come out Urahara Kisuke!" shouted Hikifune. As the smoke rising from the crater finally dissipated, Urahara emerged hiding behind a large rectangular shaped red energy shield.

"Phew, that was close," quipped Urahara as he lowered the shield. He held the released form of his Zanpakuto _Benihime_ in his right hand. "You should be careful in firing those blasts from that handgun of yours Kirio-san. We only rebuilt the Institute six months ago." Hikifune responded to Urahara's quip with another blast from her handgun. Urahara side-stepped the blast as it blew a five foot wide hole in the communication room's wall. The 12th division captain took the opportunity to flee from Hikifune by jumping through the hole.

"Come back here you traitor!" screamed Hikifune. The Royal Guard chased after Urahara, firing two more blasts of her handgun which blew holes in the roof of the facility. The two combatants eventually exited the central communications hub and emerged into a wide open court-yard in the middle of the Institute.

"Can we stop fighting Kirio-san? If we talk it over I am sure we can work out our differences," said Urahara.

"I'm not interested in your excuses!" Hikifune fired another energy blast from her handgun at Urahara. Urahara was forced to counter the blast with red crescent shaped energy blast of his own. The two blasts collided with each other, causing a large mid-air explosion. The shockwave from the explosion knocked Urahara backwards, forcing him to do a backflip to land on his feet. His brief loss of concentration made him fail to see Hikifune emerge from the smoke. She extended her long black whip and wrapped it tightly around Urahara's waist. The spikes jutting out of the whip emitted an electrical current that immobilized Urahara's body.

"I have you now Urahara Kisuke. There is no escape for you this time," said Hikifune. "For the crimes you have committed, you deserve to be punished with a horrible death." She pointed her handgun at his heart.

"Are you planning on shooting me with that gun of yours?" asked Urahara.

"How observant. I will tell you a nice little tidbit about the power of my _Executor_. It fires special holy bullets that attack the evil that lurks in the heart of every person. Anyone hit by these bullets will have the evil inside of them expand until their body explodes. I executed your former colleague Kurotsuchi Mayuri this way after I wrung all of the information out of him using my _Shitsumonsha __Muchi_. I planned on disposing of your hollowfied friends in the same way, but I now that I have you in my grasp, you shall be the next one to be eliminated by my holy bullets!" As Hikifune pressed the trigger of her handgun, Urahara closed his eyes and sighed deeply. He heard the barrel of the gun go off and a second later felt a bullet pierce through his heart. However, Urahara experienced no pain or loss of blood. Instead of ripping his insides to shreds, the bullet popped and released a strange substance that quickly engulfed his whole body. Urahara opened his eyes again and saw that his entire body was glowing brightly.

"Yes, let the evil in your heart explode you from the inside!" exclaimed Hikifune. "You shall be punished for your sins!" She watched with glee as Urahara's body glowed brighter and brighter until he was completely bathed in incandescent light. The light was so bright that Hikifune had to close her eyes to prevent herself from being blinded. She was confident that Urahara would explode at any moment. Her confidence vanished however when the bright light faded a few seconds later and the blonde-haired captain emerged unchanged.

"That was…strange," said Urahara. Hikifune gasped in utter disbelief.

"Why…why are you still alive?" she screamed. "My holy bullet should have killed you! It should have caused the evil in your heart to explode outwards!" Suddenly Hikifune gasped when a horrifying thought entered a head. "Don't tell me…it can't be…you have a pure heart?"

"I see. You attempted to kill me by making the evil feelings inside of me consume my body," said Urahara. "That is a really terrible ability to have. Most Shinigami, no matter how strong they are, would have perished due to your Zanpakuto's ability." With a powerful burst of reiatsu Urahara freed himself from the whip that tied around his waist. "But having been hit once by it, I've already analyzed the reiryoku composition of that ability. You won't be able to hit me with that bullet again."

Urahara's words fell on deaf ears, for Hikifune was momentarily consumed by her own despair and disbelief. She fell onto her knees and her body started shaking.

"I will not accept this…" she mumbled. "I will not accept this! Urahara Kisuke! Why do you continue to defy me? How is it that you have escaped punishment and even death despite all of the horrible things you've done! You heart should be filled with evil!" Hikifune's stared at Urahara with hate filled eyes. However, when she peered into Urahara's eyes and saw into his soul for the first time, she gasped in astonishment. She saw a spectral figure emerge from his heart, a figure that was the spitting image of the Spirit King, Susano-o. It was as if Urahara possessed a portion of Susano-o's spirit inside of him.

"This…this can't be possible! You're the avatar of Susano-o Tenno?" exclaimed Hikifune in shock. "Is that why your heart is so pure?"

"I can tell that you are doubting your own eyes, but it is the truth," said Urahara. "From the time I was first promoted as captain of the 12th division, I was empowered by the Reioh's spirit, and gifted with his wisdom and knowledge. I never once sought to abuse the power I was given. Everything I did was for the benefit of Soul Society."

"Lies! If you say you did everything for Soul Society's sake, then why did you let my beloved Hiyori-chan get hollowfied?"

"What happened to Hiyori was not my fault. I did everything I could to save her. If you took the time to talk to her, you would understand that she does not hate what I've done for her."

"I don't believe you! I know you're lying! If my holy bullets can't execute you then I will simply have to kill you with my own hands!" Hikifune let out an intense burst of reiatsu, surrounding her entire body with a thick black aura of spiritual energy. "Bankai!" The handgun in her right hand and the whip in her left hand disintegrated in an instant. Then a black magic circle appeared below her feet. Rising up from the circle was a blackish substance that started covering Hikifune's body. From the toes it rose up her body, shredding her haori and Shihakusho as it went. When it reached her chest the black substance latched onto her hair, causing it to grow until it formed two thick strands of that went down past her feet. At the end of the strands were two cannon-like protrusions. When she had at last finished transforming, the long black-haired Royal Guard was covering in a svelte figure covering black suit with high heels and a neck-line that exposed a substantial portion of her past.

"Whoa, that is quite an impressive transformation, Kirio-san," said Urahara in a sly complement. His quip almost got him killed, for Hikifune suddenly fired a black energy beam from one of the cannons attached to her hair. Urahara narrowly managed to dodge the beam, and saw it puncture the force-field that was protecting all of Seireitei.

"You've given me another reason to kill you Urahara Kisuke…I hate men who try to flirt with me!" screamed Hikifune. "I'm going to eradicate you completely with my Bankai, _Kuro __Kaikoimono __no __Shini_!" She extended her right hand and summoned a powerful four foot long broadsword in her hand. The sword's blade crackled with intense black spiritual energy. "_Sword __of __Damocles_, obliterate!" Hikifune swung the sword down, creating a shockwave of compressed air and spiritual pressure that expanded outwards. The shockwave continued for about a hundred metres before blowing up a twenty metre section of the Institute's outer wall.

"Whew! That was dangerous Kirio-san!" laughed Urahara. "It looks like I have no choice but to restrain you." It took Hikifune a second to register that Urahara had appeared behind her. Before she could turn around and react, the clever scientist had already trapped her inside a barrier seal.

"You think this puny barrier can stop me?" shouted Hikifune.

"Nope. Which is why I'm also doing this, _Shibari __Benihime_," said Urahara. His sword generated a large dark red net made up of pure spirit energy which enveloped and encased Hikifune, completely binding her arms, legs and her hair. The Royal Guard struggled to break free of it, but the net refused to break.

"What is this net?" asked Hikifune. Instead of responding to her question, Urahara stabbed one end of the net with his sword.

"_Shibari, __Benihime, __Juzutsunagi_." From the tip of his blade, Urahara caused a series of orbed shaped land mines to appear at each intersection of the net. Over thirty such orbs appeared, and Hikifune could only gasp in horror as the orbs detonated, causing an immense explosion of fire that shot up some several hundred metres into the air, and destroyed most of the courtyard. A "I'm sorry Kirio-san," said Urahara as he pulled his sword from the ground. As the fire and smoke gradually subsided however, Urahara saw a figure emerge. Before he could react, he was suddenly wrapped around the waist by two thick strands of hair.

"You gave me quite a shock Urahara Kisuke, but did you think an attack on that level would work against me?" asked the voice of Hikifune. The Royal Guard emerged from the smoke without even a scratch or a burn mark upon her.

"How did you survive my attack?" asked Urahara.

"I generated a barrier of hair around my body the instant before those balls of fire exploded. You've once again shown what a dangerous man you are. That is why..." Hikifune used her strands of hair to fling Urahara over her head and slam him in front of her. "…I'm killing you this instance!"

Urahara saw the sword in her right hand come down upon him. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. He spoke an almost inaudible "Bankai." The sword cut through his left shoulder blade and down almost to his waist, causing a large gash of blood to spurt out.

"Tch, I missed striking your head. No matter. I can finish you easily with my next slash!" exclaimed Hikifune as she readied her sword for another slash. Just before her sword was about to come down, the left side of her body suddenly spurted out a ton of blood as she was seemingly slashed from her shoulder down to her waist.

"What the-?" Hikifune couldn't comprehend what had happened to her. She fell onto her knees and coughed up blood from her mouth. "When was I slashed?" She stared at Urahara, who was smiling in what appeared to be a condescending manner.

"Is this your doing Urahara Kisuke?" screamed Hikifune. Her eyes widened in astonishment when she saw the wound he had received close up and heal itself.

"You should be able to see it by now Kirio-san," said Urahara. "The reiatsu construct that is surrounding my body." Hikifune gasped in utter terror when a terrifying visage of a naked woman appeared in front of her. The 'woman' appeared to be a spectral projection that surrounded Urahara's body. On closer inspection, Hikifune could see that the projection was actually a construct made entirely out of blood.

"This is my Bankai, _Fukukimusume __Benihime_," said Urahara. "It has been more than a century since I have used it. Do you know why I don't like using it?" Urahara pointed his finger at Hikifune. "It is because I find its power kind of 'evil'."

"What do you mean your Bankai's power is evil?"

"I'll explain my Bankai to you Kirio-san. You see, my _Benihime_'s abilities all stem from my blood. My Zanpakuto uses my blood's reishi and converts it into energy of various shapes and forms. My Bankai takes this ability one step further, by surrounding my body with a spiritual construct made from my blood. Any object or person that attacks this construct will be afflicted with a terrible blood curse."

"A blood curse?" Hikifune was still confused. Urahara pointed to the place where he had been cut.

"It is a curse that transfers any damage I receive onto the target who has been inflicted with it. Do you understand what means Kirio-san?" When she realized what Urahara was saying Hikifune gasped in shock.

"Don't tell me…when I slashed at you, I ended up slashing myself?"

"Another thing I should tell you is that my Bankai also greatly accelerates my body's production of red blood cells, allowing me to regenerate quickly from wounds that would normally take a long time to heal," explained Urahara. "You should see how pointless this battle really is. If you continue attacking me, you will only end up hurting yourself."

Hikifune started shaking. Despite the overwhelming disadvantage she was in, she refused to relent. Instead of releasing her grip on Urahara, she intensified her spiritual pressure to the point where her entire body was glowing with reiatsu.

"I…I won't give in! I'm not going to stop until I have your head, Urahara Kisuke!" shouted Hikifune. "I don't care if I die, as long as I can kill you first!" With an emotional expression on her face, she gripped both hands onto her sword and charged at Urahara. Just as she was about to raise her sword over her head to strike, she saw at the corner of her eyes Hiyori standing in front of her.

"Hiyori-chan!" Hikifune gasped. Her shock at seeing her beloved pupil caused her to drop the sword in her hand. Urahara too was also surprised to see Hiyori appear in front of them. _Shit, __this __is __the __worst __possible __situation __to __be __in_, he thought. He noticed that Hiyori looked visibly distressed, as if she had suffered some form of emotional trauma.

"Hikifune-san, what are you doing?" asked Hiyori. "Why were you about to attack Kisuke?" Hiyori's question caused Hikifune's face to go pale.

"No, you have it wrong Hiyori-chan. It was Urahara who was attacking me. I was only trying to protect myself," said Hikifune nervously. "You must believe me Hiyori-chan. I would never lie to you," Hiyori looked at Urahara, who smiled at her.

"I won't try to persuade you Hiyori. It is entirely up to you to decide on what you have just witnessed," said Urahara.

"Don't listen to him Hiyori-chan! That man is a filthy traitor! He fled Soul Society to escape punishment, only to return here in order to cause you more grief and suffering. Remember how much pain he caused you to suffer. I would never have done such things to you. You are like a daughter to me. I'm offering you a chance to take revenge for everything he's done to you." As she was saying this, Hikifune thought in her head, _if __she __kills __Urahara __for __me__then __I __won__'__t __be __affected __by __the __blood __curse_.

Unsure of who to believe, Hiyori frantically looked at Urahara again. The 12th division captain smiled at her with the same smile he had when he first became her captain.

"I…don't know what to do Kisuke," said Hiyori. Tears started flowing down her face.

"Before you make your choice, Hiyori, I want to ask you something…was the time you spent with me as my lieutenant any good?" asked Urahara. His question struck a chord through Hiyori's heart. The plucky blond-haired girl recalled all of the experiences she had with Urahara at the 12th division. She remembered the first time she met him and how she tried to kick him in the crotch. She remembered their descent into the Maggot's Nest to recruit Mayuri. She recalled the pride and sense of accomplishment she felt when she succeeded in her first experiment. She remembered the faith and trust Urahara placed in her when he sent her on the fateful mission that got her turned into a hollow. Finally, she recalled all the fun and games she had during the time she was Urahara. _Kisuke may not have loved me as much as Hikifune-san did, but he gave me the opportunity to grow, to learn, and to be myself. Without him, I would never have been the woman I am today_…

Hiyori opened her eyes again and smiled at Urahara. "They were the best Kisuke!" Urahara was delighted at seeing her smile like a child again. Hikifune however was furious.

"No…don't listen to him Hiyori-chan! He's brainwashing you!" she shouted. Her cries fell on deaf ears. Hiyori unsheathed her sword and walked up to Urahara.

"I'm sorry Hikifune-san. I love you dearly, but I like Kisuke just as much. I can't bear to see the two of you fight like this any longer. Which is why I'm going to do this…" said Hiyori. She placed her left arm around Urahara's back, before stabbing her sword through his waist. Her move caused Hikifune to laugh with delight.

"I knew you wouldn't betray me Hiyori-chan," said Hikifune. Her joy however vanished when she saw Urahara hug his arms around Hiyori. Then, a second later, she felt a sudden pain in her stomach. _No __way! __I__'__m __still __affected __by __the __blood __curse?_

"I'm sorry Kisuke," cried Hiyori.

"You're a strong girl Hiyori. You made the right decision," said Urahara with a smile. "There is nothing you should be sorry for." The 12th division captains stared at Hikifune, who collapsed onto her knees. Her Bankai slowly dissipated. The strands of hair that were wrapped around Urahara vanished. The suit she was wearing also disappeared, with the result that she was rendered naked and helpless. She covered her bare chest with her hands and started sobbing.

"My life is over. Urahara Kisuke has beaten me, Hiyori-chan betrayed me." Urahara and Hiyori walked up to the fallen Royal Guard.

"You should thank Hiyori for saving your life," said Urahara. "She knows about my Bankai's ability. If she stabbed me with a fatal wound, you would have died. She was fighting for both of us."

"Please Hikifune-san, I want you and Kisuke to work together, and not fight each other," said Hiyori. "He's not the enemy who did all of those bad things to me. He's the one who saved my life." At this point, the hatred and anger that Hikifune still felt towards Urahara vanished, and the Royal Guard realized what a terrible mistake she had made.

"Forgive me Kisuke. I let my own emotions get the better of me," said Hikifune.

"There is no need to apologize Kirio-san. We all make mistakes," said Urahara.

* * *

Comments

This is the second of the captain v Royal Guard battle chapters. Urahara v Hikifune is a match up that appeared in my previous work Bleach: After the War, but I went to a great deal of effort to make this battle more dramatic.

*Kaikoimono(囲い者): Means "Mistress" in Japanese. This is Hikifune's Zanpakuto. Its design is intended as a homage to the pistols wielded by Bayonetta, as well as S&M in general.

*Executor: The name of the gun that Hikifune wields. It fires energy bullets that can destroy buildings. If a spiritual being is hit by them, the bullets then have the nasty effect of causing the evil inside a person to expand outwards, eventually blowing the victim up. This ability is a homage to an obscure character from Dragonball by the name of Akuman, who also had a similar ability. Urahara surviving the bullet is intended to signify the purity of his heart.

*Shitsumonsha Muchi(質問者笞): Means "Interrogator Whip" in Japanese. This is the other component of Hikifune's Shikai Kakoimono. Though not shown in this chapter, it has the ability to read the minds of other people.

*Kuro Kaikoimono no Shini(黒囲い者の): Means "Black Mistress of Death" in Japanese. This is Hikifune's Bankai. Like her Shikai, but even more so, the design and name of the Bankai is intended as a homage to Bayonetta. Perhaps the most obvious homage is the fact that the clothing Hikifune wears in her Bankai form is made out of her hair.

*Sword of Damocles: The name of this sword is based on the Greek legend which symbolises the imminent fear or danger that hovers above the heads of those in positions of power. There is no real connection between the sword's name and its abilities.

*Fukukimusume Benihime(福生娘紅姫): Means "Blessed Virgin Crimson Princess" in Japanese. This is Urahara Kisuke's long awaited Bankai. I had Urahara revealing a similar Bankai in Bleach: After the War, but this is a more refined version. The Bankai acts as a protective spirit shroud covering Urahara's body, much like the Susano'o in Naruto, and its ability is like a more powerful and sinister version of Szayelaporro's voodoo dolls in that any person attacking Urahara automatically receives the same wounds.


	57. Chapter 57: Pride of the Kuchiki

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

*Thanks to **Ghost 2113, Ignisha, Wolfkey13, Sargerogue, Hokkaido Master, Shadow Knight**, and everyone else who sent in reviews! Your feedback has been awesome!

This is the third of the captains v Royal Guards chapters. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 57: Pride of the Kuchiki

Byakuya and Renji flash stepped their way across the streets of Seireitei as they headed towards the 6th division barracks. When they were near the barracks, Byakuya ordered his lieutenant to halt.

"What's the matter Taicho?"

"I'm having this bad feeling…Renji I want you to proceed to the barracks as planned," said Byakuya.

"What about you?"

"I will check on my family's manor. I have a suspicion that my grandfather might be waiting for me there."

"What if he's at the barracks?"

"Hide yourself and contact me at once. If however, he's at the manor, then decide for yourself whether you want to aid me. I intend to make the battle between myself and my grandfather a personal fight." The way Byakuya spoke those words greatly impressed Renji.

"I understand Taicho." Renji watched as Byakuya split off and headed in the direction of the Kuchiki Manor. Renji continued flash stepping in the same direction until he reached the main gates of the 6th division barracks. As soon as he neared the gate Renji sensed that something was wrong. The gate was unguarded and there were noticeable cracks on the surface. There were specks of blood littering the ground. Renji inspected the blood and found that it was relatively fresh.

"This is bad, someone must have spilt blood here not long ago," said Renji. He went up to the main gates and pressed against them. To his surprise one of the gates fell over backwards without resistance. Fearing the worse, Renji quickly rushed inside the barracks grounds. His fears were confirmed when he saw several of his fellow division members' bodies lying on the ground. The bodies were all charred and blackened. Renji didn't have to check to know that they were dead. As he went to the central area of the barracks he found large groups of division members tied up together and slumped against the walls of the division's dormitories. One face in particular caught Renji's attention: the sad degenerated figure of his closest colleague Rikichi.

"Oi Rikichi, are you alright?" asked Renji. He bent down and inspected the division's 6th seat carefully. There were bruises all over Rikichi's face.

"Ugh…Abarai Fukutaicho?" asked Rikichi as he opened his eyes.

"Are you okay Rikichi?"

"I'm not in the best of states but at least I'm alright. I'm glad you're back Abarai-san," said Rikichi with a smile.

"What happened here? I saw dead bodies lying everywhere and the gates smashed open. "And why are you and the other members all tied up like this?" Renji's questions caused Rikichi to start shivering anxiously, as if he was recalling some horrible mirrors.

"It was…that man...the man with the white moustache," quivered Rikichi.

"You mean Kuchiki Taicho's grandfather?"

"Yeah, it was him. He rounded us all up like this, claiming that we were traitors or something. Some of our braver souls tried to resist him but they got severely injured. Eventually most of us were tied like this and left to rot here."

"But that doesn't account for all of the charred bodies I saw…"

"Oh those were from that incredible thunderstorm that appeared over Seireitei earlier. All of a sudden these streaks of lightning came down from the sky and instantly fried many unfortunate souls who hadn't been taking shelter under a roof."

"I see." Renji knew what Rikichi was referring to. The thunderstorm was caused by the Commander of Royal Guards Hideyoshi's Zanpakuto technique _Tendo Saiban_. Just remembering it caused nightmares in Renji's head. The red-haired lieutenant tried to undo the cuffs around Rikichi's wrists but found there were no locks at all. He go out his sword and tried to cut the cuffs in half but to his surprise his sword's blade ended up getting nicked.

"What's with these cuffs? They're as hard as diamond," said Renji.

"Kuchiki Taicho's grandfather is responsible for these cuffs. I think they came from his Zanpakuto, although I'm not totally sure, since none of us got to see exactly how he created these cuffs," said Rikichi.

"Well, since I'm not good at Kido I'll have to get the 4th division relief squad or some Kido Corps guys to help you out." Renji stood up again and sheathed his sword. "There is one last thing I need to ask you Rikichi: where is Kuchiki Taicho's grandfather now?"

"I think he headed to the Kuchiki Manor. I overheard him say that something about 'cleansing the pride of my clan'." Rikichi's statement caused Renji to panic. _Shit, Captain Kuchiki's really in for it now_. _I wonder how he'll fair against his own grandfather…_

* * *

Byakuya arrived in front of his family's manor. As he walked towards the front entrance he sensed that something was seriously amiss. Both of the main gates, fifteen foot high and more than twelve inches thick, had been blown wide open. As Byakuya walked through the entrance way he noticed that many of the sculptures and stone columns that had previously adorned the gardens surrounding the main walkway through the manor had been broken, with some completely shattered. As he walked further along the walkway, Byakuya noticed more signs of a violent disturbance. The windows of a side building had been blown out and one of the manor's largest sakura trees had toppled over, landing directly on top of the bridge that crossed over the moat surrounding the main residential quarters.

Byakuya calmly leaped over the obstruction, only to stop in his tracks when he saw the bodies of numerous house servants lying on the grounds nearby. He walked up to the nearest servant, a pretty servant girl and was relieved to see that she was still alive. He bent down and gently shook the girl awake.

"B… Byakuya-sama?" croaked the servant girl.

"What happened here?" asked Byakuya.

"He…he…did it. That man…your…" the servant girl lost consciousness again, but Byakuya knew what she was saying. Only one person could have been responsible for all of this. With a feeling of cold rage in his heart, Byakuya advanced through the manor's residential quarters until he reached the private flower garden overlooking the manor's largest fish pond. As Byakuya entered the flower garden, his eyes immediately spotted the man standing on the other side of the garden.

"Ojii-sama…" said Byakuya. The former head of the Kuchiki clan, the Royal Guard Kuchiki Ginrei turned to face his grandson.

"I knew you would come Byakuya," said Ginrei.

"Why…why did you do all of this?" Byakuya pointed at the surrounding garden, where all of the trees had been sawn in half, and numerous stone steps had been destroyed. "Why did you wreck the manor and attack our family's servants?"

"I did what was necessary." Ginrei walked towards Byakuya. "Over the past few days I have seen the level of disgrace our family has fallen to. I saw numerous petty servants running around as if they owned this place. I saw my own brother, old and weak as he is, debase himself in wine and young women. And worst of all, I saw a whole division of men swearing loyalty to a captain who broke the laws of Soul Society. When I heard from Hideyoshi-sama that you and your fellow outcasts had returned to invade Seireitei, I knew I had to cleanse both our family and the 6th division, to wash away all of the filth before it could be tarnished anymore. I regret ever becoming a Royal Guard in the first place; having seen what the Kuchiki clan has become. It will be painful but I will rebuild the clan from scratch."

"Rebuild our clan from scratch? Are you intending to destroy all of our family's legacy to remake it according to your own desires grandfather?" asked Byakuya.

"There is nothing of our legacy worth keeping anymore." Ginrei's words caused Byakuya to lose his nerve. His hands shook uncontrollably with anger.

"I never would have thought you had sunk so low grandfather. On the pride I have as the head of the Kuchiki clan, I will stop you!" shouted Byakuya.

"Such arrogant words Byakuya. Have you forgotten the fact you were banished from the clan? The title of Soichi rests with me."

"We'll see about that grandfather. We both know there can only be one head of the Kuchiki. We shall decide right now whether it will be you or me."

"Hmph, you seek to challenge me again?" asked Ginrei in a patronizing manner. He unsheathed his sword and advanced towards Byakuya, "Know your place brat!"

"I'm not longer a kid anymore!" Byakuya unsheathed his sword and charged at his grandfather. He lashed out with a downward swing that was blocked by Ginrei's blade. With this initial clash of blades the two competing heads of the Kuchiki clan began a furious clash of swords in the middle of the flower garden. Their exchange of moves seemed more like a series of elegant dance movements, as both fighters moved with almost synchronized responses to each other. Each time their swords met sparks would fly off the ends of their blades, and each time one of them missed their swings a portion of the flower garden was destroyed,

After a long exchange of relatively even blows, Ginrei took the initiative to end the stalemate by launching a powerful horizontal swing at Byakuya's face. Byakuya jumped up to avoid the swing, landed on his grandfather's sword, and then performed a backflip in mid-air while lashing out with a horizontal swing of his own. Ginrei performed a backflip himself to avoid Byakuya's attack, landing backwards one step. A second after he landed, Byakuya suddenly appeared behind him. His sudden strike at his grandfather's back was swiftly countered by Ginrei's blade.

"Trying to use Senka on me again? Have you forgotten who taught you that move?" asked Ginrei. Byakuya's eyes widened in surprise when he saw his grandfather's left hand glowing with blue energy. "Hado 33, _Soukatsui_!" Only a split second counter _Soukatsui_ saved Byakuya from feeling the full force of his grandfather's Hado. Even so, the force of the resulting explosion was enough to send him flying backwards out of the flower garden. He grimaced in pain as his body slammed into one of the manor's outer walls, leaving a considerable dent. Before Byakuya could get himself up he saw his grandfather was already charging another Kido spell.

"Bakudo 62, _Hyapporankan_!" shouted Ginrei. He threw a long purple rod of spirit energy at Byakuya. Halfway through its flight the rod disintegrated into dozens of smaller rods which pinned themselves to Byakuya's body, completely immobilizing him. _Shit_, thought Byakuya, when he realized he couldn't move. His eyes widened with fear when he saw his grandfather appear in front of him.

"Do you still intend to resist me Byakuya?" asked Ginrei. The patriarch of the Kuchikis saw the look of determination in Byakuya's face and knew without a verbal response that his grandson was still unwilling to give up. "It seems that I need to use more force to subdue you. Glitter, _Sendaikongoseki_." Byakuya watched carefully as his grandfather's Zanpakuto disintegrated into millions of microscopic diamond gems. The swarm of diamonds formed a bluish wave very similar to Byakuya's own _Senbonzakura_.

"So that's how your Zanpakuto works, Ojii-sama," said Byakuya.

"Knowing about it will not do you any good Byakuya!" shouted Ginrei. He directed the swarm of diamonds at his grandson. Before the diamonds could hit him, Byakuya silently incanted the spell for Bakudo 81 _Danku_. The swarm of diamonds struck an invisible barrier in front of Byakuya and fell onto the ground, much to Ginrei's surprise.

"Didn't I tell you that I would stake all of my pride in order to stop you Ojii-sama?" said Byakuya. His body started glowing with pink spirit energy as he intensified his reiatsu. "You haven't seen my true power yet!" With sheer willpower he removed the rods pinning his right arm down. Then he dropped his Zanpakuto into the ground. A moment later the area surrounding his body darkened as two rows of over a thousand giant blades rose up from the ground as if it was made of water.

"Bankai, _Senbonzakura Kageyoshi_," said Byakuya. The giant blades disintegrated, creating millions upon millions of tiny blades shaped like sakura petals. The release of his Bankai freed Byakuya by destroying the portion of the manor's wall he had been pinned against.

"So this is your Bankai," said Ginrei with a smile. "It resembles the one wielded by our clan's ancestor." Before Ginrei could give any further compliments, Byakuya suddenly directed the immense swarm of pink blades at him. Ginrei jumped high into the air to avoid the swarm.

"You cannot escape my blades Ojii-sama!" exclaimed Byakuya. With a sweeping gesture from his left hand he directed his Bankai to fly at his grandfather. The swarm of pink blades almost surrounded Ginrei, before the Royal Guard flash stepped backwards, reappearing in the middle of the manor's main fish pond. A second later Byakuya appeared in the air only a few metres in front of his grandfather and pointed his left index and middle fingers outwards.

"Bakudo 61 and 63, _Rikujokorou _and _Sajo Sabaku_!" shouted Byakuya. Before Ginrei could react, six rectangular rods of light appeared around his waist, and numerous golden spirit chains wrapped around his body from his shoulders to his waist.

"Crap!" swore Ginrei as he realized he had fallen into his grandson's trap. He gasped in awe when an immense sphere made entirely out of cherry blossom like blades formed in the airspace around him. The sphere was so dense that it even penetrated the surface of the water, eventually forming an encircling barrier from which there was no escape.

"This is the end Ojii-sama. I will end this battle in one move," said Byakuya. "_Gokei_, _Senbonzakura Kageyoshi_." An instant later the sphere of blades collapsed in upon Ginrei, creating a shockwave that caused large waves of form upon the surface of the pond. However, the end result was not what Byakuya was expecting. Rather than completely shredding the enemy, his Bankai's blades were stopped by some sort of spherical barrier. At this moment Byakuya heard the word "Bankai" coming from his grandfather's mouth. An instant later almost all of surrounding blades turned into charcoal and disintegrated.

"What the hell?" exclaimed Byakuya in astonishment. He gasped when he saw a thick spherical shell made entirely out of diamond surrounding his grandfather's body. The shell eventually disintegrated into billions of small diamond gems, so numerous that they literally bathed the water of the pond and the sky above.

"That was a brilliant technique Byakuya, but I am afraid your Bankai can do little against my Bankai, _Sendaikongoseki Kagayakashii_," said Ginrei.

"We'll see about that Ojii-sama!" shouted Byakuya. He generated millions more cherry blossom blades and directed them at his grandfather. Before the blades could hit Ginrei they were blocked by a ten foot wide diamond mirror. Byakuya could not believe his eyes as almost all of his blades turned into fragile charcoal and disintegrated.

"Have you realized the true nature of my Bankai yet, Byakuya?" said Ginrei as the large mirror disintegrated back into diamonds. "My Bankai gives me complete control over all the allotropes of carbon, from the hardest substance diamond, to the softest, graphite. In addition, any living or non-living substance that comes into contact with my diamonds can be subjected to the carbonization process. Against my diamonds, your millions of blades are nothing but worthless charcoal Byakuya. It is pointless to fight against me anymore. You cannot win."

Still in disbelief that his Bankai had been so comprehensively dismantled, and seething with anger from his grandfather's words, the trademark Kuchiki demeanor of grace and nobility Byakuya had perfected for half a century melted away, and the brash and headstrong attitude that defined his youth resurfaced.

"I…I refuse to give up Ojii-sama!" shouted Byakuya. "If my blades cannot touch you, then I will simply use my own hands to do so!" He summoned the remnants of his Bankai and reformed it into four rows made up of thousands of complete swords that hovered around both Byakuya and Ginrei in a circle, creating a coliseum like environment. With a wave of his right hand Byakuya summoned one of the glowing swords, causing it to condense into a denser version of his sealed Zanpakuto.

"This is _Senkei_¸_ Senbonzakura Kageyoshi_. This is the true form of my Bankai, which I only show to enemies I have sworn to cut down using my own hands," said Byakuya.

"So you wish to make this a personal fight again," said Ginrei. The old man closed his eyes and sighed deeply. Then he condensed the billions of diamond gems into a single blade the size and shape of his sealed Zanpakuto.

"_Diamond Tsurugi_," said Ginrei. "This is the hardest known sword in the history of Soul Society. No other katana has been able to cut it. Let's see how sharp your blade is compared to it!"

With an intense scream, Byakuya charged at Ginrei. He initiated a series of frenzied slashes, each strike packing intense explosive force. His attacks however were all blocked by his grandfather, and as hard as he tried Byakuya simply could not cut Ginrei's condensed diamond sword. In sheer desperation he tried a final lunging attack, packing almost all of his spirit energy into it. Alas, it too was blocked by Ginrei.

"It shames me to see you like this Byakuya," said Ginrei. "You have abandoned all of the sword discipline I taught you in favour of random swings without technique or power behind them."

"Don't…lecture me Ojii-sama!" shouted Byakuya. He pushed hard against his grandfather's blade, hoping to break through Ginrei's guard. All of his efforts were in vain, for a second later his blade turned into charcoal and shattered into pieces.

"My blade…" said Byakuya in disbelief. His loss of concentration allowed Ginrei to fire a Hado 4 _Byakurai_ through his shoulder. Byakuya gasped in pain and stumbled from the attack. He realized too late that he was now wide open. His grandfather seized the advantage by raising his sword above his head.

"It is over Byakuya," said Ginrei. The Royal Guard brought his blade down upon his grandson, slashing across Byakuya's body from his right shoulder diagonally to his waist. A huge amount of blood spurted out as Byakuya's Shihakusho was torn apart. Byakuya stumbled several steps backwards and collapsed onto the bank beside the fish pond. A large pool of blood formed beneath his body. Out of the corner of his eye he saw his grandfather approach him.

"Surrender peacefully and I will spare your life Byakuya," said Ginrei. "It is pointless to oppose me anymore. Don't make me kill you." Despite his grievous wound Byakuya still managed to raise his right hand. He summoned a stream of a hundred condensed pink swords at his grandfather. They were all blocked by another diamond shield.

"No…" croaked Byakuya as he realized it was hopeless. His strength was fading fast. The rows of swords making up his _Senkei_ disappeared and a few seconds later his sealed Zanpakuto materialized beside his body.

"You should know well what it means to have your Bankai disappear against your will," said Ginrei. "It means you are near death." Ginrei raised his sword above his head again and prepared to finish off his grandson. At this moment, a figure fell from the sky and landed in between Ginrei and Byakuya. The Royal Guard quickly flash stepped backwards, surprised by this sudden entrance.

"What is this?" asked Ginrei. Byakuya's eyes widened in shock when he saw who it was.

"Renji!" he exclaimed. The lieutenant of the 6th division had appeared in front of his captain. He was now in his Armor Bankai form, his body covered in a thick red Baboon hide, with a baboon like skull fit over his head, a long bone tail ending in a large snake head growing from his back, and two gauntlets ending in sharp claws fit over his arms.

"Sorry Kuchiki Taicho, I've come to aid you," said Renji. He intensified his reiatsu, channeling energy into his gauntlets, before charging at Ginrei.

"Wait Renji!" shouted Byakuya. His cry had no effect, for he had almost completely exhausted his strength. He could only watch on as his lieutenant attacked his grandfather with a level of ferocity and speed he had never seen before.

"Take this, and that!" shouted Renji. He slashed at Ginrei numerous times with his claws. Though all of his attacks were blocked by the swarm of diamonds, Renji nevertheless succeeded in pushing the Royal Guard backwards.

"Annoying pest," said Ginrei. He lashed out at Renji with thousands of diamond spikes, but the red-haired lieutenant managed to dodge each attack with blistering speed. His performance amazed Byakuya, who couldn't believe what he was seeing. _When did Renji get this strong?_ _He's fighting evenly with my grandfather_.

"I'm breaking through that defence of yours old man!" shouted Renji. Charging his right claw to maximum power he thrust a powerful strike at Ginrei. His attack was blocked by a diamond mirror. This created an opening for Ginrei, allowing him to pierce Renji's waist with dozens of diamond spikes. Renji was blown backwards, landing beside his captain. A large amount of blood was flowing from the wound to in his stomach.

"Stop Renji, you are no match for my grandfather!" exclaimed Byakuya. "This is my personal fight!"

"Then why are you lying on your ass looking so pathetic, Kuchiki Taicho?" asked Renji angrily. "I know you can still fight!" Renji began charging a large red ball of spirit energy using both his gauntlets, before thrusting both his arms outwards.

"_Hikotsu Taiho_!" he shouted. He fired a powerful concentrated beam of red spirit energy at Ginrei. The Royal Guard summoned a huge diamond shield to block it. The beam of energy slammed into the shield and was stopped dead in its tracks. Renji refused to give up, pouring more of his spirit energy into the attack.

"Don't strain yourself anymore Renji. You'll drain yourself of your reiryoku," said Byakuya.

"I don't care! I'll keep fighting until my soul dies!" shouted Renji. Byakuya was stunned at his lieutenant's words.

"Why are you doing this Renji?"

"I…I refuse to let you be defeated Kuchiki Taicho. Not until I surpass you! You have always been my benchmark, the insurmountable wall I've been trying to overcome ever since I joined the Gotei 13. Every time I tried to challenge you I failed miserably, but that didn't stop me from trying harder." Renji paused for a moment in contemplation. "You have no right to give up before I do, not until I have beaten you! Seeing you like this makes me wonder why I even followed you in the first place! Where is the indomitable Kuchiki Taicho who would fight to the death to defend his pride? Where has the pride you've been fighting for gone, Taicho?"

Renji's words struck at the very depths of Byakuya's heart, just as the lieutenant was suddenly engulfed by the hand of a golem like shape made entirely out of diamond.

"I have no business with runts like you," said Ginrei. "I will crush you with _Diamond Golem_." Renji screamed in pain as the golem's hands started crushing his body. At this moment, Byakuya began reminiscing about his past. _The pride I've been fighting for…what was it?_

Byakuya's mind flashed back through memories of his past. His first memory was of a young man crouched on his hands and knees at the grave of his parents, who had been tragically killed in action.

* * *

_"Otoo-san! Okaa-san!" cried Byakuya. Raw tears flowed from his eyes as he felt the pain at having lost his family. He had loved his mother and father. They had given him all of their love and warmth, and had sheltered him from the cruel realities of the outside world. Now that they were gone, Byakuya was now faced with the hard truth that he was alone. As he cried, his uncle Genma watched on solemnly._

Byakuya's mind flashed forward several years in time after his parent's death. After he had recovered from a fight to the death against Shiba Kaien in the chambers of the Central 46, he had been brought before all of the Kuchiki clan elders, including his uncle Kuchiki Genma.

_"We are extremely disappointed in you Byakuya-kun," said Genma. "What you did against Shiba Kaien was extremely rash and foolish. If you died then our whole clan would have been banished in the same way the Shibas were." Byakuya shied away from his uncle's piercing gaze. He knew in his heart that he had let his family down by giving in to his rash feelings. _

_ "It is time you grew up and took responsibility as Head of the family. It has been years since your father and mother passed away. They are no longer with you, and neither is your grandfather, who is now in the King's Realm. The future of the Kuchiki family rests in your hands. You must take the mantle of Captain of the 6th Division and more importantly, start finding a wife to carry our next heir. There is a long list of suitors waiting in line to meet you."_

Byakuya had consented to his uncle's demands and engaged in courtship with several women from the other noble families of Seireitei. All of them were too vain and egotistical for his liking. Eventually he became sick of all of his responsibilities and decided to run away from home. He fled Seireitei and ran into the vast depths of the Rukongai, even though Soul Society was in the middle of winter. He soon found himself alone in the middle of nowhere. Cold, tired and out of energy, he blacked out. What happened next had changed his life forever.

_"You're awake!" said a gentle voice. Byakuya opened his eyes to see the face of the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. With elegant black hair running down to her shoulders, purple bluish eyes and a loving smile, she radiated warmth and affection._

_ "Where am I? What happened to me?" asked Byakuya._

_ "You must have passed out. I found you lying face down in the middle of a snow covered field and brought you to this cave. Here, something for you to eat," said the woman. She gave Byakuya a loaf of bread, which appeared to be the only possession she had. On closer look Byakuya noticed she was dressed in a ragged set of peasant clothes._

_ "You don't need to eat?"_

_ "I have no spirit energy, so I never get hungry. You look like a noble by the looks of your clothes." It was the first time that Byakuya realized how different he was from a mere commoner._

_ "Yeah I'm from the Kuchiki family. I'm Kuchiki Byakuya. What about you?"_

_ "I'm Hisana." Before she could say anymore she started coughing heavily._

_ "Are you alright Hisana?"._

_ "I'm fine. I've been like this ever since I came to the Rukongai."_

_ "You were once a living person?"_ _asked Byakuya. Hisana nodded._

From the moment he met Hisana, Byakuya fell in love with her. When he recovered enough to return to Seireitei, he brought her with him. His return to the Kuchiki Manor caused a stir amongst his family.

_"I have returned uncle Genma," said Byakuya._

_ "Ah welcome back Byakuya-kun. We have been so worried about you that I had ordered the patrol corps to search all of Rukongai to find you," said Genma. _

_ "I have come to my senses uncle. I am ready to settle down and take my titles as Head of the Kuchiki clan."_

_ "That is wonderful! I'll start preparing for the crowning ceremony right away."_

_ "Make sure to arrange a wedding ceremony too," said Byakuya._

_ "You've…you've decided to marry someone?" asked Genma_.

When Byakuya introduced Hisana, all of his family was outraged. But the sheer force of his newfound authority silenced even his uncle. Byakuya and Hisana were married, but their happiness didn't last. Hisana died five years later, leaving Byakuya a broken man. Out of respect for his wife's last wish, he sought out her sister Rukia and adopted her into the family. This time his uncle and the other elders put up a more vehement protest.

_"This is preposterous! No commoner has ever been inducted into the Kuchiki clan!" exclaimed Genma. "Do you intend to make a mockery of our traditions Byakuya?"_

_ "I promise that this will be the last time uncle. This was Hisana's dying wish. I swear on my pride that I will never again break our traditions or the law." _Byakuya proceeded to swear an oath in front of his parents' graves. But his vow came back to haunt him years later when his own sister was marked for execution. Torn between upholding the law and protecting his wife's dying wish, Byakuya went into a state of agony that was only relieved when he was finally defeated by the Substitute Shinigami Kurosaki Ichigo.

_ "In the shadow of the law, personal feelings have no value. Also, things as useless as emotions, I never had them in the first place. The Kuchiki Family is one of the four noble families. We are the role models for all Shinigami. If we do not uphold the law, then who will?"_

_ "Sorry, I still don't get it. If I was you I'd fight the law…"_

Kurosaki Ichigo's words made Byakuya remember what he used to be like, before he became a broken man. He had rediscovered the source of his pride: the pride in the legacy that Hisana had left him. _That's right…the source of my pride, the motivation that drives me to fight, is to protect Rukia…_

* * *

At this moment, just as Ginrei was about to crush the life out of Renji, Byakuya's body suddenly exploded with reiatsu. The bleeding from his wounds stopped and through sheer force of will Byakuya managed to stand up. Ginrei was so shocked by this that he released his grip on Renji, letting the unconscious lieutenant fall into the water.

"I finally remembered the pride that makes me fight Ojii-sama," said Byakuya. "And I know that you've raised your blade to it."

"What are you talking about Byakuya?" asked Ginrei. The Royal Guard gasped when Byakuya released his Bankai again. The millions upon millions of cherry blossoms condensed into a layer of white armour that completely covered his body. A pair of gigantic wings sprouted from his back, a bright halo formed above his head, and an enormous double bladed broadsword shaped like a bird's beak extended from his right hand.

"_Shukei_¸ _Hakuteiyoroi_," said Byakuya. "This is the ultimate form of my _Senbonzakura_. I will strike you with all my pride on the line." With a flap of the gigantic wings, Byakuya flew towards his grandfather at supersonic speed.

"Unbelievable. You've mastered _Keshin_ already Byakuya?" asked Ginrei. Before the Royal Guard could react, Byakuya had already appeared in front of him. In a last ditch effort Ginrei condensed his billions of diamond gems into a thousand sharp needles that pierced Byakuya's body, just as Byakuya's _Hakuteikan_ thrust itself through Ginrei's chest. The resulting clash caused a humongous explosion of spiritual energy that vaporized all of the water in the fish pond and created a thirty metre wide crater in the centre of the manor grounds. As the explosion and the smoke subsided, Byakuya and Ginrei were standing with their backs towards each other. Byakuya calmly sealed away his Bankai and unsheathed his sword, just as a large gash of blood spurted out from Ginrei's shoulder. For the first time, a smile appeared on the Royal Guard's face.

"I am pleased Byakuya. You've finally shown that your pride is stronger than mine," said Ginrei. "You are the true Head of the Kuchiki clan. Protect it with all of your pride." With a satisfied laugh Ginrei fell over onto his back.

"I will Ojii-sama," said Byakuya.

* * *

Comments

*Sendaikongoseki Kagayakashii(千秋金剛石輝かしい): Means "Glittering Millenium Diamond" in Japanese. This is Ginrei's Bankai. It is very similar in name and appearance to Byakuya's Bankai (it has the same initials SBK). The power of Ginrei's Bankai is a logical extension of his Shikai ability, which allows him to control the allotropes of carbon as well as the carbonization process. His Bankai can be as brittle as charcoal or as hard as diamond.

*Diamond Tsurugi: This is one of the abilities of Sendaikongoseki Kagayakashii. It concentrates the billions of diamond particles into a single sword of immense cutting power, just like Byakuya's Senkai Senbonzakura Kageyoshi.

*Diamond Golem: Another one of the abilities of Sendaikongoseki Kagayakashii. This ability allows Ginrei to create golems and other shapes made out of diamond.

*Diamond Mirror: The third ability of Sendaikongoseki Kagaykashii. This ability hardens the diamon gems into a diamond mirror that can reflect all energy attacks.

*Shukei Hakuteiyoroi (終景白帝甲): Means "Endscape: White Imperial Armor" in Japanese. This is the fully mastered version of Byakuya's Shukei Hakuteikan, and is basically the Keshin form of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi. Though not specfically shown, it allows Byakuya to turn his body partially intangible as well teleport to the location of any of his petals.


	58. Chapter 58: Undead Symphony

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

WOOHOO over 500 reviews! A big thanks to everyone who sent in reviews and feedback for helping this story get this far. I couldn't have done it without you guys.

Smart readers of Bleach will know what the title of this chapter refers too. For everyone else, you're in for a treat in this last of the captain v Royal Guard chapters.

* * *

Chapter 58 Undead Symphony

"I can see the barracks Ken-chan!" exclaimed Yachiru as she rode on top of her captain's header.

"Yes, so can I Yachiru," said Kenpachi. The four senior most officers of the 11th division soon reached the front gates of their division's barracks. An eerie wind blew across the street running alongside the barracks' walls.

"Are you going to challenge him again Taicho?" asked Ikkaku. His captain suddenly had a demonic smile on his face. Without warning he raised his right leg and kicked the gates as hard as he could. Ikkaku and Yumichika gawked in awe as one of the gates was blown over, toppling backwards. Like a complete boss Kenpachi strolled through the now open entrance.

"So much for a quiet entry," said Yumichika with a shrug.

"Hell yeah, this is more like it," said Ikkaku. The two subordinates followed their captain through the barracks. They encountered numerous downtrodden 11th division members slumped against the walls of their dormitories. Many of these guys looked demoralized and dispirited. As soon as they saw Kenpachi walk by the spirits of all the men lifted instantly.

"Taicho!" they exclaimed excitedly and rushed to embrace their captain.

"Welcome back Zaraki Taicho," said one of the division members.

"Where have you been Zaraki Taicho?" asked another division member.

"Out of my way, you fools," said Kenpachi. His stern warning caused the grunts to back away and give him, Ikkaku and Yumichika space to walk past. The three men, with Yachiru hanging from Kenpachi's back, marched through the barracks and up to the bungalow that was used as the division's captain's quarters. In a swift motion Kenpachi kicked at the doors of the bungalow and blew them both wide open.

"Whoa, that is one heck of a way to make an entrance Taicho," said Yumichika. With the entrance now exposed, Kenpachi and his gang marched into the bungalow. The 11th division captain's eyes instantly sighted the man sitting on the floor on the other side of the Bungalow. With his Zanpakuto perched over his lap, the man was clearly in the process of Jinzen. When Kenpachi started walking towards him however the man opened his right eye.

"So you have come back here, Zaraki Kenpachi," said the Royal Guard known as Toujou Kenpachi. The elder Kenpachi, with his spiky black hair, short but thick beard, and a scar running down his right eye, regarded his junior namesake with contempt.

"Damn right I've come back," said Kenpachi. "I'm taking back my division you stole!"

"Ha, you seek to challenge me for the title of division captain again?" asked Toujou. The elder Kenpachi laughed. "Frankly I am not interested in fighting you again. You are simply not my equal." Toujou stood up and grabbed hold of his huge six foot long Zanpakuto with his right hand. He pointed the sword at Kenpachi.

"I have no wish for needless violence. Despite Hideyoshi-sama's orders, I will let you and your subordinates leave here alive," said Toujou. The Royal Guard's words caused Kenpachi to burst out laughing.

"Do you think I would run away from you? Your shitty stick doesn't scare me anymore," said Kenpachi.

"Such strong words for the man I defeated with a knife. If you are so eager to die at the hands of my blade…then be my guest." Toujou held his sword with both hands and prepared to swing it at Kenpachi. Just as he was about to launch an attack, Kenpachi suddenly grabbed the hilt of his sword, instantly unsheathed it from the makeshift scabbard on his back and slashed at Toujou. His slash generated a shockwave of air pressure that sliced the bungalow in half, and caused blood to spurt out from Toujou's left shoulder blade. _What the hell was that? _Toujou thought to himself. He looked closely at Kenpachi's Zanpakuto, and widened his eyes in astonishment. Instead of the long but thin nodachi with a ragged blade edge, it now took the shape of a huge six foot long broadsword with jagged edges on both sides that tapered to a sharp point, with a rough hilt attached to the naked blade without any semblance of a guard. It looked like more like a raw piece of metal than any sort of sealed Zanpakuto.

"Your Zanpakuto…it's changed shape?" asked Toujou.

"Surprised?" Kenpachi grinned. "Don't think I'm the same as I was before. If you underestimate how strong I've gotten then I'll tear your ass to pieces." Kenpachi's bold statement caused Toujou to start chuckling. Then the elder Kenpachi burst into laughter.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha! You've finally piqued my interest Zaraki Kenpachi." Toujou licked his lips. "It seems I'll finally have an interesting battle for the first time three hundred years." With a sweep of his sword Toujou blew the rest of the bungalow apart. Then the Royal Guard leaped into the air.

"Hey where are you going?" shouted Kenpachi. He leaped into the air after Toujou.

"Let's take our fight somewhere else. Those puny barracks cannot possibly handle our full destructive power," said Toujou.

"Heh I guess you're right about that. How about we start fighting right now?" Without warning Kenpachi immediately attacked Toujou. The Royal Guard blocked with his sword and the two warriors clashed blades in mid air as they headed in the direction of the Sokyoku Hill.

* * *

"Ken-chan's gone," said Yachiru.

"Should we follow after the captain?" asked Yumichika. Ikkaku thought carefully about his response. He remembered what had happened to them after they followed their captain out of Seireitei. They had walked all the way into the most lawless region of Rukongai, Zaraki. Upon reaching that district Kenpachi had ordered them to leave.

_"Get lost. I don't want you guys following me around anymore," said Kenpachi_

_ "But Taicho, we swore we would follow you until we died!" protested Ikkaku._

_ "You didn't mind us following you into exile from Seireitei. Why are you shunning us now?" asked Yumichika. _

_ "It's because you guys will get in the way of my training," said Kenpachi. "I came here in order to get stronger, not to babysit you underlings."_

_ "But we want to get stronger too Taicho!" exclaimed Ikkaku._

_ "Then go find your own way! I have no need of weaklings who gimp themselves just to show their loyalty to me." _

_ "What, what do you mean Taicho?" Ikkaku and Yumichika were stunned by their captain's words. Kenpachi turned to face his most loyal officers._

_ "Don't think I wasn't aware of the secrets you two have been hiding from me," said Kenpachi. Ikkaku and Yumichika widened their eyes in shock. "I don't want people who are too scared to fight using their true strength because they're afraid of what I think." With that, Kenpachi and Yachiru walked off into the distance, leaving Ikkaku and Yumichika behind to contemplate their own predicaments._

"I know our captain wouldn't want us to interfere with his fight," said Ikkaku. "But we can't just stay as bystanders after all the grueling training we did. Let's go Yumichika."

"Alright," said Yumichika.

"I'm coming too!" exclaimed Yachiru.

* * *

Kenpachi and Toujou landed on the Sokyoku plateau with a mighty thump that kicked up a huge amount of dust and caused a shockwave that spread out in a fifty metre circle. The two swordsmen locked blades for a brief moment before they separated.

"Not bad Zaraki. You're keeping up with my sword movements," said Toujou.

"Are you impressed yet Toujou-san?" asked Kenpachi with a grin on his face.

"Hardly. How about we take things up a notch?" Toujou removed the eye-patch covering his right eye and threw it away. In an instant his reiatsu skyrocketed, causing his entire body to be bathed in a glowing column of yellow spiritual pressure.

"Already taking the eye-patch off? I didn't think we'd get serious so quickly," said Kenpachi in disappointment. "But…if that's what you want, so be it." The 11th division captain copied Toujou and took his eye patch off. His reiatsu also increased dramatically, causing his body to be bathed in a similar column of yellow spiritual pressure.

"Let's do this Zaraki!" shouted Toujou. The elder Kenpachi raised his six foot long nodachi sword above his head and swung it down at the younger Kenpachi's face. Kenpachi blocked the attack with the blunt edge of his sword. Toujou did not let up, launching a second downward swing off the rebound from Kenpachi's sword. The furious pace of the Royal Guard's slashes allowed Kenpachi no time to counter attack. All he could do was to block all of the attacks with his sword.

"What is the matter Zaraki? You haven't attacked me yet!" laughed Toujou. The Royal Guard intensified the pace, unleashing a series of downward slashes at Kenpachi. The attacks caused the ground around them to rupture and debris to rise up from the ground. Eventually Kenpachi got sick of Toujou's attacks and finally decided to strike back. He timed his movements so that his blade perfectly parried Toujou's downward swing. Then, with a sudden exertion of reiatsu, Kenpachi cut right through Toujou's sword with his own.

"Impossible!" exclaimed Toujou in shock. The Royal Guard was knocked off guard by the sight of a quarter of his nodachi being cut off. Kenpachi seized the opening to land a powerful vertical slash right down the side of Toujou's torso from his left shoulder. A torrent of blood spurted out as Toujou narrowly avoided being cut in half by jumping backwards in reflex.

"How…how did you get so strong so quickly?" asked Toujou, panting heavily. Kenpachi strolled up to Toujou, carrying his huge broadsword over his shoulder.

"You want to know how I did it? It's simple; I went through three days of hell in order to get stronger," said Kenpachi. As he began retelling his Rukongai experiences to Toujou, he recalled everything he had went through over the past few days…

* * *

_The bandits and gangsters who made up the majority of the denizens of the bar cowered in fear as soon as they saw the frightening visage of Kenpachi enter. The owner of the bar recognised his face at once, and immediately ducked under the counter._

_ "Don't kill me!" he cried. Clearly the barman and everyone else had not forgotten Kenpachi's infamous exploits, nor his fearsome reputation._

_ "Relax. I'm not here to kill you guys," said Kenpachi._

_ "Why have you come back Kenpachi-san? Did you leave the Gotei 13?"_

_ "In a manner of speaking. Do you know anything about a man going by the name of Toujou Kenpachi?" The barman widened his eyes in surprise. _

_ "Of  
course I do! Every person belonging to the old clans in Zaraki know about him. He is history's greatest swordsman, the man who defeated ten thousand other swordsmen singlehandedly. His legendary sword Masamune was forged here in Zaraki by the greatest ever blacksmith Muramasa."_

_ "Muramasa? I've heard about someone like him before. Is he still alive?"_

_ "No way. He died centuries ago. But his descendents are still living here. I can show you where to find them." _

_ Kenpachi followed the directions given to him by the barman to a small hut overlooking a gigantic waterfall escarpment. When he entered the hut he saw a frail old man tiling away at anvil._

_ "Welcome Zaraki Kenpachi-san," said the man._

_ "You know my name?" asked Kenpachi._

_ "Who in Zaraki doesn't? You are the eleventh person in Soul Society's history to call yourself 'Kenpachi'. I know why you have come here."_

_ "You do? Then this makes things simple for me." The old man looked up from his work and looked at Kenpachi through the eyes. _

_ "You have come here, after hearing about the sword my ancestor crafted for the first and greatest Kenpachi, Toujou-sama, hoping that I could make you an equally powerful sword."_

_ "Damn straight I am." Kenpachi showed the man his sword, a six foot long jagged blade that was notched and rusted in several places. "I take it you have the same level of skill as your predecessor. Can you re-forge this blade of mine into a stronger Zanpakuto?" _

_ The old man took a good look at Kenpachi's sword and then shook his head._

_ "I'm afraid I cannot."_

_ "Why? Don't tell me you're not as good as your ancestor!"_

_ "No, that's not it. I've inherited all of Muramasa's skills. I can craft you a sword that is just as refined and elegant as Toujou's Masamune. But, it won't make you any stronger. The sword my ancestor made for Toujou was only an ordinary katana at first. It was not until Toujou poured all of his strength and power into the blade that his Masamune was transformed into the most legendary sword in existence. It is the same with you. Any new sword I make for you will not be as strong as the sword you currently have. A swordsman doesn't grow stronger by getting a better sword; he grows stronger by bonding with the sword he already has."_

_ "Geez you talk too much old man!" yelled Kenpachi angrily. "I didn't come here for a lecture! What am I going to do now? How do I get stronger with this sword I currently have?"_

_ "I have an idea. There is a cave nearby that is said to be a shrine to the god of swords. It was said that Toujou himself trained inside that cave for over three years. If you meditate inside that cave you may be able to bring out the true strength of your sword." _

_ Kenpachi grudgingly followed the old man's advice and dropped down to the bottom of the waterfall. He found an obvious entrance to a cave and followed it in. For a long while he walked down a dark tunnel devoid of light. Gradually he lost track of all sense and direction until he ended up stumbling forward without purpose or reason. When he stepped on a patch of loose ground it gave way and Kenpachi ended up falling into the darkness. _

_ He woke up some time later in the middle of a field of grass filled with the bodies of hundreds of bandits and swordsmen, all of them covered with numerous swords. The field seemed endless. Kenpachi wandered around and found it stretching on for miles in all directions. After walking for some time he stumbled upon the largest pile of bodies heaped up into a small mountain. Sitting on the very top of the mountain was a small girl with pink hair. She was dressed in a filthy rage and her face and body were covered with blood. Somehow, Kenpachi felt a sense of compulsion to approach the girl, as she reminded him of Yachiru. When he climbed up to the top, he noticed that she was crying non-stop._

_ "What is the matter girl?" asked Kenpachi. The girl looked up at him, and Kenpachi was astounded to see the face of Yachiru._

_ "Yachiru? What are you doing here?"_

_ "Yachiru? Who is Yachiru? Is that the name of that other girl who is always beside you? I hate her!" sobbed the girl. "Why is it you talk to her all the time, yet you've never tried talking to me?" _

_ "Who are you? I don't remember any other girls with pink hair," said Kenpachi. _

_ "Why have you come to see me? You've never needed me in the past." Hearing the girl's words made Kenpachi remember something. He recalled the memories with his fight with Ichigo, and how he was speaking about 'fighting with his Zanpakuto.'_

_ "You couldn't be my…" said Kenpachi._

_ "Oh, so you're starting to remember me," said the girl. She stopped crying. An evil grin formed on her face as she pulled out a huge butcher's knife three times bigger than she was. "How about we play a little game? Maybe that will make you remember me some more." As Kenpachi took a step back he realized he wasn't holding a sword in his hands. He lost balance and fell off the pile of bodies, just as the girl attacked him…_

* * *

"I literally went through hell in that cave under the waterfall," said Kenpachi. "Even now I don't know if what I experienced was real or was a product of my imagination. But eventually I was able to find out the true name of my Zanpakuto." Kenpachi allowed Toujou to take a good look at his broadsword. "This is my sword, _Chibioni_."

"Small demon? That is an ironic name, but it perfectly suits you Zaraki Kenpachi," said Toujou. "I didn't think you were wise enough to walk down the same path as I did; I must congratulate you for doing so. But, you have a long way to go before you reach my level."

The Royal Guard stood up and ignored the blood dripping from the gash along the side of his body. He held his broken Zanpakuto above his head.

"You have only just unlocked the true powers of your Zanpakuto. I will show you what it means to master it," said Toujou. "Don't be overawed, or you will die quickly. Bankai!"

An overwhelming amount of spiritual pressure surrounded Toujou's body, as his broken Zanpakuto not only regenerated but grew five times its normal size until it was over ten metres long. The overall shape of his sword did not change, but all of its dimensions, from the pommel to the guard, were five times larger. Yet Toujou was still able to wield the weapon with ease. Kenpachi stared at the giant sword in awe.

"Surprised Zaraki? This is my Bankai, _Kyojin Slayer Masamune_," said Toujou. The Royal Guard gripped his giant sword with both hands and held it high above his head. Kenpachi's eyes widened in surprise as he saw Toujou's sword grow even larger.

"Oh shit!" swore Kenpachi as he realized Toujou was going to bring the sword down upon him. Before he could raise his sword to block, Toujou swung his titan slayer in a downward arc. The shockwave from the swing had the effect of instantly spitting the entire Sokyoku Hill in half, creating a huge chasm over ten metres across that stretched all the way down to the base of the hill, some five hundreds below. In the aftermath of the attack, Toujou shrank the size of his Bankai down to its Shikai state and held it over his head. The Royal Guard watched condescendingly as Kenpachi clambered out of the chasm, coughing up a large amount of blood. As he got to his feet, it was evident that Kenpachi had barely survived the attack, with a huge gash running from his right shoulder down to almost his waist.

"Finished already?" asked Toujou. Kenpachi took one look at Toujou and realized he stood no chance against him head on. He started running as fast as he could in an attempt to get behind Toujou. However, the Royal Guard saw through his strategy.

"That trick won't work against me!" shouted Toujou. He swung his Bankai sword in a broad horizontal arc, creating a massive shockwave of air pressure and spiritual energy. The shockwave was so powerful that a five hundred metre section of the outer Seireitei was sliced through. As Toujou finished his attack, Kenpachi's waist suddenly exploded with a huge amount of blood. The heroic 11th division captain fell onto his back, having only narrowly survived being completely cut in half. He tried desperately to get up but despite his best efforts he simply could not move his legs.

"I commend your bravely Zaraki but the way you are now it is physically impossible to stand up," said Toujou. "Only your spinal cord is keeping the two halves of your body together. This fight is over. If you surrender now I will ensure you receive immediate medical treatment." Kenpachi saw the Royal Guard walk towards him. _Damn, why is this happening to me again? After all the effort I went through, he is still stronger than me_.

"Fuck you," said Kenpachi. Toujou was not amused.

"Hmph, it appears to me you have a death wish. So be it," said Toujou. At this moment, just as the Royal Guard prepared to finish off Kenpachi, three figures suddenly jumped down from the sky.

"Taicho!" yelled Ikkaku. The 11th division 3rd seat landed beside his captain, followed by the 5th seat Yumichika and their lieutenant Yachiru.

"You guys…what are you doing here?" asked Kenpachi.

"Isn't it obvious Ken-chan? We're gonna help you fight this guy!" exclaimed Yachiru.

"Hey, what did I say about you guys interfering in my battles?" Kenpachi tried to scold his subordinates but doing so caused him to cough up blood.

"Sorry Taicho but we're gonna have to disobey your orders this time," said Ikkaku with a smile. "Yumichika and I followed your advice and found our own path to strength. Over the past three days we have trained as hard as you have. Now we want to show you the fruits of our training…by testing it out on him!"

With a loud battle cry Ikkaku leaped into the air. He unsheathed his Zanpakuto from the scabbard he carried in his right hand and instantly shouted out "Bankai, _Ryumon Hozukimaru_!" The sealed sword in his left hand transformed into a giant Chinese Monk's spade; the scabbard in his right hand turned into a Guan dao. The two weapons were linked by chains to a large central blade marked with the crest of a dragon. Ikkaku swung the Monk's spade down at Toujou's head. The Royal Guard casually blocked the attack with his sword. Ikkaku continued the assault, attacking Toujou in succession with both the Monk's Spade and the Guan dao.

"Take this and that!" yelled Ikkaku. After a few more strikes the dragon crest in the center blade filled up with crimson dye. "I've improved my Bankai's strength to the point where it only takes a few hits for _Ryumon Hozukimaru_ to reach full power!" Ikkaku intensified his reiatsu and attacked Toujou with all three of his weapons. Without blinking an eye, Toujou swung his sword in an upwards diagonal arc and blew Ikkaku away. The force of the Royal Guard's attack destroyed all three of Ikkaku's weapons and carved a gash across his torso.

"Don't interfere in our battle, small fry," said Toujou.

"Ikkaku!" Kenpachi cried out. He watched helpless as his third seat fell lifeless on the ground nearby. Just as Toujou turned his attention back towards Kenpachi he was suddenly restrained by a multitude of green and blue vines that wrapped around his arms, legs and neck.

"What is this?" asked Toujou in confusion. He soon felt his energy and spiritual pressure being sucked away by the vines.

"Split and deviate, _Ruri'iro Kujaku_," said Yumichika. "I no longer care what the others in my division may think. From now on I've decided to use my Zanpakuto the fullest. For the sake my Taicho I will use _Ruri'iro Kujaku's_ ability to drain all of your reiatsu."

"I see. So these vines are sucking up my reiatsu," said Toujou. "This appears to be some sort of Kido ability. How underhanded. An 11th division soldier should focus on pure martial strength."

"You're in no position to lecture me. I'll suck up all of your reiatsu soon enough."

"Oh really? Do you seriously think your Zanpakuto's ability can work on me? You are so naïve." With a loud cry and a flexing of his muscles Toujou snapped all of the vines restraining his body. Then, before a shocked Yumichika could react, Toujou swung his sword in another large slash that blew the 11th division 5th seat away in the same manner as Ikkaku was.

"Yumichika!" shouted Kenpachi. He gnashed his teeth in despair and frustration at seeing his most loyal officers fall in front him.

"Now then, to finish you off Zaraki," said Toujou. The Royal Guard advanced towards Kenpachi again, but his path was suddenly blocked by a valiant Yachiru.

"You will not harm Ken-chan!" shouted Yachiru.

"Out of the way little girl," said Toujou angrily. Kenpachi panicked upon seeing Yachiru unsheathing her sword and facing the Royal Guard.

"No…Yachiru, don't fight him…" croaked Kenpachi. Yachiru looked at her captain and gave him a wink and a smile.

"Sorry Ken-chan but I'm going to fight," said Yachiru. "You've always protected me from the bad guys and told me to watch from the sidelines. But I'm not just a spectator, I can fight too. This time, I'll protect you, Ken-chan." Yachiru shrieked out a high pitch battle cry and jumped into the air. She unsheathed her Zanpakuto from the scabbard that hung from her sash.

"Pounce, _Tigerlily_!" shouted Yachiru. Her Zanpakuto transformed into a giant pink coloured hammer over seven foot long and five foot wide. The hammer was more than twice the size of Yachiru herself, yet the small lieutenant was able to wield it by the handle with ease. Her captain Kenpachi was shocked to see Yachiru being able to release her Zanpakuto. He had no idea she was capable of such a feat.

Yachiru slammed her hammer down upon Toujou's face. The impact created a shockwave of air pressure that threw up some dust, but the Royal Guard was hardly budged by the attack.

"Take this mean guy!" shouted Yachiru. She swung her hammer down at Toujou several more times, but each strike had the same effect. Eventually Toujou became infuriated by Yachiru's attacks.

"Get out of my face," said Toujou. With one swing of his right arm he chopped Yachiru's neck and slapped her away. The pink haired girl cried out in pain as she tumbled and skidded along the ground for nearly fifty metres.

"YACHIRU!" screamed Kenpachi in horror. Anguish and despair filled his heart for the first time in his life as he was overcome with the prospect of losing his beloved lieutenant. The emotional trauma he was experiencing was too much for him to bear, and he slowly blacked out. The last thing he remembered was Toujou advancing towards him again.

* * *

When Kenpachi opened his eyes again he found himself in the same field of grass littered with dead bodies. The wounds on his body were gone and as he got up, he saw the sky above was pitch black.

"What the fuck? How did I end up in this place again?" asked Kenpachi.

"Idiot, this is your inner world!" shouted the voice of a small girl. Kenpachi immediately turned his head and saw a small pink-haired girl standing on a familiar mountain of bodies carrying a large butcher's knife. It took Kenpachi a second to register who she was.

"You…you are my Zanpakuto…" said Kenpachi.

"So you remember who I am at least. That is a good start." The Zanpakuto spirit Chibioni jumped down from the pile of bodies and walked towards Kenpachi.

"Why am I here again?"

"Isn't it obvious? I brought here you to teach you a lesson!"

"What lesson? I don't need no freaking lesson right now. That bastard Toujou's gonna kill me any moment now!" shouted Kenpachi. The girl jumped up and slapped him hard in the face.

"You are such a big idiot Ken-chan!" Chibioni's voice sounded exactly like Yachiru's. "Don't you know that time flows differently in here? Right now that big guy is still walking towards you, and you're still unconscious on the ground."

"Then everything right now is happening inside my head?"

"Duh, of course it is! Geez I really wish you weren't so clueless." The little girl shook her head and walked away from Kenpachi.

"What do you want with me?" asked Kenpachi. "I don't have time to lazing about in this dull place." The girl stopped walking and turned to face Kenpachi again.

"I'm not letting you leave you until you promise you'll listen to me."

"Huh, what do you mean? I'm listening to you right now aren't I?" Chibioni slapped Kenpachi again.

"Idiot! I'm not talking about here, I mean outside. I've been shouting at you during this whole fight, but you kept on ignoring me," said Chibioni. She started pouting. "You're always like this, thinking you don't need my help and relying on your own strength alone."

"What is the problem with that? I've managed to get through most of my fights using my strength alone."

"Well how come you're getting your butt kicked by that Toujou guy?" shouted Chibioni angrily. "Do you know why he's stronger than you? It's because he fights with the strength of his sword!" Chibioni's words made Kenpachi recall his fight with Ichigo during the latter's attempt to rescue Rukia. He the exchange of words he had with Ichigo prior to the two of them clashing blades for the last time.

"_I'm borrowing Zangetsu's power and fighting side by side with Zangetsu," said Ichigo. "I'll never lose to someone who fights by himself!"_

_ "That's bullshit. Zanpakutos are just tools of war. Fighting side by side with a Zanpakuto is just a phrase used by cowards too afraid to fight by themselves," Kenpachi retorted. "It's not something for warriors like you and I, Ichigo!"_

"Remember what happened back then? Ichigo-kun was able to beat you because he was fighting with the full power of his Zanpakuto. It's the same with that Toujou guy. If you had listened to me and learned to use my power, we would never have lost to them!" Kenpachi was silent for a moment. He struggled to comprehend what his Zanpakuto was telling.

"So you're telling me to fight with you. Just like Ichigo did," said Kenpachi.

"If we fight together, we'll never lose to anyone Ken-chan."

"If I was my old self I would have laughed at you. But…this isn't the time to cling to some bullshit warrior's creed. I'll put my trust in you, Chibioni." At this moment, Kenpachi could feel his Zanpakuto spirit's happiness flow into him. His consciousness exited his inner world and returned to his outside body. With a sudden influx of spiritual energy, Kenpachi was able to slowly get up and stand upright. The blood from the two gashes to his side and waist stopped flowing. This was followed by an explosion of reiatsu that bathed the entire Sokyoku hill in a truly enormous spiritual pressure that even forced Toujou to his knees.

* * *

"What, what is this reiatsu?" exclaimed Toujou in shock. "And how are you able to stand up Zaraki? You shouldn't even be able to move." The Royal Guard was suddenly blown backwards by an intense aura of yellow reiatsu shaped like an ominous skull that surrendered Kenpachi. A demonic grin appeared on Kenpachi's face.

"So this is what it feels like to be at full power," said Kenpachi.

"Full power? What are you talking about Zaraki?"

"All this time I've been a Shinigami I've only ever used a fifth of my true power, because I didn't bother even listening to my Zanpakuto. But now, my Zanpakuto and I are working together. And what you're seeing Toujou-san…is me at 100%."

"Ha, ha, ha, I like your boast Zaraki! Let's see if it's true!" A hysterical Toujou raised his giant titan slayer sword above his head and swung it down at Kenpachi. With a casual swing of his sword Kenpachi succeeded in completely shattering Toujou's Bankai.

"Impossible!" Toujou was aghast. He stared in shock as the thousands of tiny blade shards making up his Bankai fell to the ground.

"It's over Toujou-san," said Kenpachi as he raised his _Chibioni_ above his head. In a single powerful swing he cut through Toujou's right shoulder all the down to his waist, causing a large spray of blood to splatter on the ground. Toujou coughed up blood from his mouth.

"Heh, heh, I never imagined you would beat me Zaraki," said Toujou with a smile. "Ah well, this fight has been really enjoyable for me." The Royal Guard closed his eyes and slowly toppled onto his back, leaving a battered and bloody but still standing Kenpachi the victor.

"Thank you Toujou-san. I've had a lot of fun too." Kenpachi managed to smile for one final time before he collapsed onto the ground, completely exhausted.

* * *

Comments:

The title of this chapter refers to "The Undead" series of chapter titles Kubo gave for chapters that involved Kenpachi, and how he was initially introduced as a man who wouldn't die.

*Chibioni(禿び鬼): Means "small demon" in Japanese. This is the name of Kenpachi's Zanpakuto. Both the name and Kenpachi's Zanpakuto spirit (a small girl who looks like Yachiru) are meant to depict the ironic nature of Kenpachi's own character. I've always had the impression that despite his rough and brutal nature, Kenpachi had an inner part of his soul that was innocent and fragile. The comment that Kenpachi's true Shikai resembles a "rough slab of metal" is a homage to Gut's Dragon Slayer from Berserk.

*Kyojin Slayer Masamune: Kyojin( 巨人) means "giant" in Japanese, so the name of Toujou's Bankai basically means "Giant Slayer Masamune". Its appearance is no different to Toujou's Shikai except for the fact Toujou can vary its size. The initial appearance of Toujou's Bankai is a homage to the huge sword wielded by the Demon God Uta from Rave Master.

*Tigerlily: Yes, this is Yachiru's Zanpakuto. I couldn't think of a good name for her Zanpakuto in Japanese, so I decided to give her an appropriate English-sounding name. The form of Shikai release is essentially a huge pink-coloured mallet.


	59. Chapter 59: The Great Betrayal

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

A big thanks to regulars **Sargerogue, Ghost2113, Wolfkey13, Shadowknight** and all of the other people who've sent in reviews! I appreciate your feedback and comments!

I promise to everyone that this chapter will be the most epic of all of Bleach: The Afterlife Saga, and one will hopefully surpass anything that transpired in the actual manga itself. Enjoy it!

* * *

Chapter 59: The Great Betrayal

As the battles between the Gotei 13 and the loyalist Royal Guards raged on in Soul Society, three brave souls were sitting in the middle of a Dangai passageway. A large hexagonal shaped orange spiritual barrier blocked the Koryu current from encroaching upon the three individuals, and repelled any incursions by the Kototsu train that swept through the passageways cleaning out intruders. The barrier was being maintained by the strength and will of a single woman, Inoue Orihime. For more than three months she had sat patiently in the Dangai, watching the motionless figures of her closest nakama, Ichigo and Ishida. The two men were deeply immersed in training so advanced that all of it was taking place at a purely subconscious level. Neither man had moved a single muscle during all of this time; the only outward signs that they were still alive were cuts and bruises that appeared on their bodies. Though they were all healed in an instant, Orihime became increasingly concerned at how far Ichigo and Ishida were pushing their minds and bodies.

"Kurosaki-kun, Ishida-kun," said Orihime. She wondered how long it was going to take them to complete their training. Maintaining the barrier had exhausted more than half of her spiritual energy, and it was now taking all of her willpower and concentration to not fall unconsciousness.

"For Kurosaki-kun and Ishida-kun's sake, I must not fail," Orihime said to herself. She was determined to keep the barrier up for as long as possible, no matter the personal cost to herself.

As for Ichigo, and Ishida, both of them were still deeply embroiled in their own intense training. Ichigo continued to fight against Zangetsu and Engetsu at the same time, in a three month long battle that had already demolished a large portion of his inner world. Ishida on the other hand, was lost in the thoughts and memories of his ancestor Siegfried, unable to escape.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Seireitei, a group of captains and lieutenants were convening at the first division barracks. An hour had passed since the group of exiled Gotei 13 Shinigami led by Yamamoto began fighting Hideyoshi and his Royal Guards for control of Soul Society. All of the Royal Guards except for Commander Hideyoshi himself had surrendered to the Gotei 13. The first stage in Yamamoto and Urahara's plan to prepare Soul Society for Azrael's invasion had been largely accomplished. Now it was up to the remaining captains to execute stage two, the evacuation of all of Seireitei's nobles and officials.

With Yamamoto still fighting, Shunsui had elected to take on the responsibilities of acting Captain Commander. Ukitake and Unohana stood alongside him to help co-ordinate the meeting. All of the other captains except for Yamamoto, Byakuya and Kenpachi were present, and they were all accompanied by their respective lieutenants, with the exception of Shinji's lieutenant Ichigo and Sui Feng's lieutenant Omaeda. In addition, the Royal Guards Ranjana and Hikifune had been allowed to attend the meeting to offer their valuable knowledge and experience.

"Okay, it seems like everyone is present," said Shunsui. "This will make it much easier for us to co-ordinate everything. Kisuke, Yoruichi, could the two of you bring the rest of the captains and lieutenants up to speed with what has been happening?" Urahara and Yoruichi nodded and promptly began explaining the events that had happened in the real world following Ichigo's escape from prison and concluding with the revival of Prince Tsukuyomi as the dark lord Azrael. When they were finished, everyone in the room who hadn't been informed about these events before all registered shock and disbelief at what they were hearing. The most devastated were Ranjana and Hikifune. The two Royal Guards fell onto their knees in despair.

"I don't believe it…Suzaku-san and the others have betrayed us…" stuttered Ranjana. "And Prince Tsukuyomi is still alive…"

"Isshin-san was innocent all along?" asked Hikifune.

"Believe me, the three of us were as shocked as the two of you are when we heard this news," said Shunsui. "But this is no time to be procrastinating over what to do. We need to decide on a plan of action."

"Yamamoto Sotaicho has already provided us with a blueprint response to Tsukuyomi's impending invasion," said Urahara. The 12th division captain turned to Unohana. "Unohana-san, has your squad got into contact with Kuchiki-san and Zaraki-san?"

"Yes Urahara Taicho. Isane and Hanatarou have arrived at the scenes of their battles and are treating them now," said Unohana. "The Royal Guards Kuchiki Ginrei and Toujou Kenpachi have both decided to ally themselves with the Gotei 13."

"That's a relief," said Ranjana. "I think the four of us Royal Guards can persuade Hideyoshi-sama to co-operate with you guys."

"Before we do that, we should figure out exactly we're supposed to evacuate all of the nobles and officials in Seireitei to safety," said Ukitake. "Kisuke, do you have any contingency plans in place?" Urahara nodded.

"My division has already been working on building a number of large underground shelters per the Sotaicho's instructions. These shelters can house hundreds of people for months at a time and will be largely protected from any fighting inside of Seireitei by the Sekki-seki force-fields."

"Hey, what about the mobilization of the troops?" asked Shinji. "It's okay directing the civilians to the evacuation shelters, but if the enemy attacks soon, we won't be able to respond with large numbers of Shinigami unless we have a series of strategies in place."

"Mmm you're right Hirako-san. I guess mustering all of the Gotei 13's strength for battle would be the final stage in Yamamoto-san's plan. It will be difficult to plan a defence of Seireitei when we've never been invaded in more than two hundred years," said Shunsui.

"Could we use the same strategies we deployed in the war against Aizen?" asked Hitsugaya.

"I am afraid not. We had months to prepare for our war with Aizen, and a location we could afford to sacrifice without suffering a lot of collateral damage," said Ukitake. "In this current situation, I doubt the enemy will give us the time to plan an adequate defence. Furthermore we cannot afford to lose Seireitei."

"Jushiro is right. If Seireitei is lost, the whole world is doomed," said Shunsui.

* * *

At the same moment, the blocks around the Western White Way Gate were annihilated by a huge shockwave of spiritual pressure that created a fifty metre wide crater. In the centre of the crater were two combatants of immense power; the Captain Commander of the Gotei 13 Yamamoto Genryusai, and the Commander of the Royal Guards Hideyoshi Kenryusai. The two old men had both unleashed their ultimate Hakuda attack, the _Sokotsu_, at one another. Their fists collided at the same point, in a clash that obliterated the landscape around them. After about ten seconds of struggle, neither fighter could withstand the spiritual pressures generated by each other. Their bodies succumbed to the g-forces and were blown away. The two men slammed into the walls on either side of the destroyed White Way Gate, before falling to the ground.

"I'm impressed Genryusai. I never thought we would so evenly matched," said Hideyoshi. The Commander of the Royal Guards slowly got up from the ground.

"I've trained long and hard in these last thousand years Kenryusai," said Yamamoto. The Captain Commander of the Gotei 13 also stood up. "I have reached the limit of Shinigami, just like you have." Hideyoshi grinned at Yamamoto's comment.

"You and I, the two of us may be past our primes. My reflexes and stamina are not as great as they used to be."

"The same here. I have considered retiring from my position and passing the title of Captain Commander to the next generation. But…for the moment, I have no intention of stepping down. The youngsters have not reached my level yet."

"Ha, ha, we both think alike don't we Genryusai? I thought the same about you when I stepped down. I thought you were not ready to become Captain Commander." Hideyoshi sighed for a moment. "I guess you have proved me wrong."

"Shall we end this fight Kenryusai? We are so evenly matched our battle may last for a whole day. And neither of us would want to destroy Seireitei in the process," said Yamamoto.

"Are you giving up Genryusai? We've barely gotten started. Our former sparring sessions lasted a lot longer than this. If you're so concerned about Seireitei we can always find some deserted place out in the Rukongai to continue our battle." Hideyoshi stretched his arms out and walked towards Yamamoto. "Come on, let's…"

Before Hideyoshi could speak another word a blade suddenly pierced his chest from behind.

"Kenryusai!" shouted Yamamoto in shock when he saw the blade jutting out from Hideyoshi's chest. As he ran to Hideyoshi's side Yamamoto was further surprised to see the blade retract and disappear. Hideyoshi stumbled backwards and coughed up blood.

"Where…where did that blade come from?" asked Hideyoshi.

"That was a little present from me Hideyoshi-san" said a voice that both Hideyoshi and Yamamoto recognised. It was a voice that sent chills running down their spines. The two old men nervously turned around. Hideyoshi's eyes widened in utter astonishment and disbelief. Standing a hundred metres in front of him was a man whose face he had not seen for over a hundred years.

"Tsukuyomi-Shinno!" exclaimed Hideyoshi. "How is it you're still alive? I thought you were dead." The former Prince of the Royal Family, who now called himself by the name of Azrael, flicked back his long brown hair and gave Hideyoshi a sinister smirk.

"Are you surprised to see me?" asked Azrael. "You must have assumed I was dead, along with every other member of my family except for my brother Susano-o."

"Suzaku told me you had been killed by Shiba Isshin."

"Yes that's quite true. Isshin did indeed kill me. But you should have known that a member of the Royal Family like me would come back eventually. After all the blood of Izanagi runs in my veins." It took Hideyoshi a few seconds to register the meaning of Azrael's words.

"No way! You…you reincarnated…with all of your memories intact?"

"Naturally. However it took me a while to regain my former strength. I have Isshin-san to thank for all of the troubles I went through. He was kind enough to apologize for everything he did to me."

"It seems like you've met Shiba Isshin already. Where is he now?" asked Hideyoshi.

"He is dead Kenryusai," said Yamamoto. The Captain Commander had listened to his senpai speak with Azrael, but decided it was time for the truth to be known. "He died at the hands of Tsukuyomi."

"Isn't that convenient Hideyoshi-san? I have done you a favour by executing the criminal you've been trying to hunt for the past one hundred years," said Azrael, grinning evilly.

"Why…why did you kill him Tsukuyomi? I wanted him brought alive before me, so that I could make him tell me what really happened according to his own words," said Hideyoshi.

"There's no need for that now Kenryusai. I already know the truth," said Yamamoto. "Isshin was never the culprit behind the massacre of the Royal Family. If you had listened to me when I came back to Soul Society you would have known he was innocent. You've been hunting the wrong man all this time."

"No…way. Are you telling me that the one who killed Izanagi and his family, and left Susano-o Reioh to die…was you, Tsukuyomi?" Hideyoshi fell to his knees in despair as blood started flowing from the wound in his chest. Beads of sweat appeared on his face as he lost his nerve. Azrael started laughing hysterically.

"It is funny. When people of strong moral beliefs and values are confronted with a traumatic situation they can't handle, they tend to hold someone else responsible. A scapegoat, the unfortunate soul who shoulders the blame for the misfortunate suffered by others. Shiba Isshin was the ideal scapegoat. He was just as morally righteous as you Hideyoshi-san. That is why he could never resort to unconventional means to prove his innocence."

"I knew from the beginning that Isshin was the not the one responsible for murdering the Royal Family. I always believed in him," said Yamamoto.

"Then why didn't you place more faith in him and his son, Yamamoto Sotaicho?" asked another voice that Yamamoto recognised. At this moment, Aizen stepped out from behind Azrael's shadow. Yamamoto's eyes widened in surprise.

"Aizen! Why are you with Tsukuyomi?" The former 5th division captain smirked.

"I thought Urahara Kisuke told you about this already. Prince Tsukuyomi is my father," said Aizen. Yamamoto gasped in disbelief.

"Who is that man Tsukuyomi? He looks just like you," said Hideyoshi.

"Allow me to introduce Aizen Sousuke, my son and protégé," said Azrael with a bow. "He has been my most loyal servant. Of course, he isn't the only servant I have." With a flick of his hand, Azrael summoned four more figures to appear beside him. When Hideyoshi saw who they were, his entire body trembled in shock and astonishment.

"Suzaku, Byakko, Seiryuu, Genbu!" exclaimed Hideyoshi. "This cannot be possible! You've…you've all betrayed me?" The Commander of the Royal Guards could not believe his most loyal subordinates the Shitenno had turned against him.

"What are you talking about old man? We were never loyal to you in the first place," laughed Suzaku. "The only master we have served is Tsukuyomi-dono. All we have been doing is following your orders until our lord's revival."

"NO THIS CANNOT BE!" Hideyoshi slammed his fists on the ground in despair. "Everything I've believed in, all of the things I've done since I came here…they were all worthless! I've failed Susano-o Reioh!" Azrael and the Shitenno started laughing at the Commander of the Royal Guards' pitiful state. Yamamoto however, was unwilling to let his senpai stay like this.

"It's alright Kenryusai. You haven't failed yet." said Yamamoto. He bent down and patted Hideyoshi on the back. Then he stood up again and glared at Azrael. "Prince Tsukuyomi, or should I say, Azrael, I know what you are after. You intend to use the Ouken to enter the King's Realm again and kill your brother, don't you?"

"How perceptive Yamamoto Genryusai," said Azrael. "Urahara Kisuke must have told you everything about my goal. But it is too late to stop me now. Everything has proceeded according to my plans."

"No they haven't!" With a gesture of his hands Yamamoto summoned _Ryujin Jakka_ into his hands and created a huge wall of fire that covered the gap in the outer Seireitei wall behind them. "To get to the Ouken you'll have to get past us. And you will only do so over our dead bodies. Hideyoshi and I alone are more than enough to take on all of you."

"You are right Genryusai, I have spoken too soon of my failure," said Hideyoshi. The old but venerable Commander of the Royal Guards stood up again and summoned _Raijin Shinsuu _into his hands. "Do you punks seriously think you can take us on? We'll rip you all to pieces."

"How amusing to hear such words coming from you old timers," said Azrael with a smirk. "It's fine and dandy for you to fight us, and indeed, with your full powers you would certainly vaporize us all. But, do you think you could fight us whilst protecting Soul Society and all of its people at the same time?"

"What do you…?" Before Hideyoshi could finish his question the sky above was suddenly ripped open. A huge garganta suddenly emerged, and from out of the tear in dimensions came hundreds of Gillian class Menos Grande, all howling horrific cries. They were followed by thousands of smaller hollows that jumped from the garganta and landed on the plains behind Azrael and the Shitenno.

"You intend to throw those Gillians and hollows at us?" asked Yamamoto.

"They are not the only ones under my command." With a sinister grin, Azrael waved his arms in a flourish. In an instant, the skies across Seireitei and Rukongai were torn apart as dozens of huge gargantas appeared out of nowhere. From them came thousands of Menos and tens of thousands of hollows. Most of the hollows emerged near the three other gates guarding Seireitei, but a significant number appeared inside the Sekki-seki force field generated by Seireitei's walls. Their appearance did not go unnoticed by the senior officers of the Gotei 13.

"What is this disturbance?" asked Ukitake. He and the other captains and lieutenants inside the captains' meeting room sensed the sudden influx of a huge number of reiatsu signatures.

"It feels like…hollow reiatsu," said Rose. Just then, the 1st division lieutenant Sasakibe Chojiro, who had been watching the meeting from the outside, rushed into the room. There was a panicked expression on his face.

"I apologize for the interruption my dear captains and lieutenants, but we have a serious situation going on outside," said Sasakibe.

"What is it Chojiro-san?" asked Shunsui. The captains and lieutenants all followed Sasakibe outside to the 1st division barracks' open courtyard. When they got there, all of them were stunned to see a stream of Menos Grande and lesser hollows pour out from the dozens of gargantas that had appeared in the sky above Seireitei.

"Gillians…there's hundreds of them!" exclaimed Hitsugaya.

"Look there's a few Adjuchas too," said Lisa. She pointed out the several medium sized hollows that were radiating lieutenant-class reiatsu seemingly directing the masses of Gillians behind.

"How the heck did all of them get inside?" asked Sui Feng.

"Looks like the invasion has come far sooner than we expected," said Urahara.

Back at the White Way Gate, Yamamoto and Hideyoshi were struggling to comprehend the enormity of the situation they faced. They could clearly sense the spiritual pressures of thousands of Menos and tens of thousands of hollows invading Seireitei from all directions.

"As you can see, I have over ten thousand Gillian and Adjucha class Menos under control, not to mention a hundred thousand regular hollows," said Azrael. "Nearly all of Hueco Mundo has been emptied of its denizens."

"You monster! Do you realize what this will do to the balance between the dimensions?" exclaimed Hideyoshi in exasperation.

"Why would I care about such a trivial issue? All I care about is entering the King's Realm and killing my brother," said Azrael. "Now then, what will you gentlemen do? If you choose to fight us you will allow the hollows to run amok throughout Seireitei. On the other hand, I doubt there any other beings of your caliber who are strong enough to stop us." Hideyoshi pondered his options for a moment. Then, after a deep breath, he intensified his reiatsu, and used his Shikai sword to summon an immense wall of electric current directly in front of Azrael and the Shitenno. The wall stretched for over two kilometers in both directions, joining the outer walls of Seireitei to form a completely enclosed area in front of the outer gate.

"_Dai Tenrai Kabe_," said Hideyoshi. "This wall will keep you all from entering Seireitei until I have exterminated all of the hollows. After that is done I will deal with you scoundrels myself."

"Do you seriously think a flimsy barrier like this will stop us?" asked Azrael. On his signal hundreds of winged hollows attempted to fly through the barrier. All of them were instantly disintegrated to atoms.

"I see, this barrier isn't just for show then. I'm impressed."

"You can all stay where you are until I am done cleansing the hollows," said Hideyoshi.

"Wait Kenryusai." Yamamoto grabbed Hideyoshi's hand as the latter was about to enter Seireitei again. "There is no need for you to deal with the Menos and other hollows."

"What do you mean Genryusai? I have to defend Seireitei!"

"You're forgetting that we have a whole army at our disposal Kenryusai," said Yamamoto with a smile. "An invasion like this is precisely the reason why the Gotei 13 was formed. Now, for the first time over five hundred years, all of the Gotei 13's strength shall be mustered!"

The Captain Commander suddenly threw up several vials of ink that drew black lines and symbols on his arms and hands. He then thrust his right palm into the ground, creating a large circle covered with a network of black lines that extended outwards. Five glowing orbs that resembled mirrors appeared and hovered around Yamamoto's head.

"Bakudo 97, _Ban'yuu Tenteikura_!" shouted Yamamoto. In an instant, Yamamoto formed a mental connection with every single Shinigami, Royal Guard and other related people inside Seireitei. In addition, a huge television like screen suddenly appeared high above Seireitei, broadcasting his live message. Those who could not see the screen had a mental vision of Yamamoto projected inside their heads. When he was satisfied he had established a connection with everyone, Yamamoto began his message.

"Attention Gotei 13, Onimitsukidou and Kido Corps members, this is Captain Commander Yamamoto speaking. As you may have noticed, Seireitei has been invaded by an uncountable number of Gillians and other hollows. They are under the command of a group of beings of vast power who seek the destruction of Soul Society. They must not be allowed inside Seireitei. Commander Hideyoshi of the Royal Guards and I are defending the Western White Way Gate as I speak. However, we cannot deal with all of the hollows by ourselves. That is why I am ordering the full wartime mobilization of all Soul Society's forces!

"To the captains of the Gotei 13, I require you to execute Defence Protocol Alpha as planned. All of the civilian officials and nobles of Seireitei should be evacuated to the designated locations. Once that is done, the full might of the Gotei 13 should be deployed to eliminate all of the hollows currently inside of Seireitei, before destroying the hollows attacking the other three outer gates. Most importantly of all, we must prevent the enemy from reaching the Senzaikyu tower at all costs. Every single person who has the ability to fight should defend Seireitei with their lives. The fate of Seireitei, Soul Society, and all of the dimensions rests upon your efforts. From now on, Soul Society is at war!"

* * *

Yamamoto's thunderous voice was broadcast across Soul Society. His message was heard loud and clear by the captains and lieutenants inside the 1st division barracks.

"You heard Yamaji-san, the time for talk is over. Let's put everything we've discussed in to action," said Shunsui. He led the other captains and lieutenants back to the captain's meeting room. In a fortunate coincidence, the captains of the 6th and 11th divisions along with their subordinates arrived at the room at the same time.

"We heard Yamamoto Sotaicho's message," said Byakuya.

"Perfect timing Byakuya-kun. Since Yamaji-san isn't around, I'll be the one giving the orders. I need you, Kenpachi, Sui Feng and Kisuke to begin the evacuation of the civilian officials and nobles," said Shunsui. "Are the evacuation shelters ready and operational Kisuke?"

"They are Shunsui-san. I will co-ordinate and manage the evacuation process," said Urahara. The 12th division captain directed the other captains and their lieutenants and subordinates out of the 1st division barracks to begin the evacuation procedures.

"Alright, that's one task assigned. Now, I require two front line squads to be dispatched to the northern and southern gates at once," said Shunsui. "Captain Hitsugaya, you will be leading the first squad. Kensei-san, can you lead the second?"

"Sure thing Kyoraku-san," said Kensei. "I already have my squad mates selected." The 9th division captain ordered his fellow captains Love and Rose, as well as Lisa and Mashiro to follow him out of the 1st division office and towards the front lines.

"Okay, I should pick my squad mates too," said Hitsugaya. "Matsumoto, Hinamori, Kira, Hisagi, I want you all to follow me." The three lieutenants and the 10th division 3rd seat followed Hitsugaya out of the 1st division office. Now, only four captains, four Royal Guards were left in the room, along with Yoruichi and Tessai.

"Hey Shunsui, I think you forgot about the eastern gate," said Shinji.

"Oh shit I hadn't thought about that!" swore Shunsui.

"Should we go and defend the eastern gate?" asked Ranjana.

"No, you and the other Royal Guards should stay here. You're our last lines of defence if Yamaji-san and Hideyoshi fail to stop Aizen, the Shitenno and Tsukuyomi from breaking in. The rest of us captains including Tessai-san should raise the fortifying barriers around the Senzaikyu as Yamaji-san instructed."

"You haven't mentioned me," said Yoruichi. "Should I defend the eastern gate by myself?"

"You shouldn't push yourself Yoruichi-san. You haven't recovered from your injuries yet," said Unohana.

"Yoruichi won't be alone! She has me to rely on!" shouted a voice from the outside. A moment later Shiba Kukaku appeared beside the door.

"Kukaku-san!" exclaimed Yoruichi in surprise.

"Ganju and I heard the Sotaicho's message. We just happen to have four large burly guys who are itching for a fight," said Kukaku. She led Yoruichi and the other captains to a balcony overlooking the forest surrounding the Senzaikyu. The captains were surprised to see Jidanbo and the three other Gatekeepers, all dressed up and ready for battle.

"We're all ready for a big fight Kukaku-san," said Jidanbo.

"Heh, you guys will get one alright," smiled Kukaku. "What do you say Shunsui? Ganju and I and the boys here should be more than enough to hold off the gate from those hollows." Shunsui, Ukitake and Unohana all chuckled and shook their heads in amusement.

"I would never have thought you would volunteer to fight for us again after what happened to your brother," said Ukitake.

"We could definitely use your help," said Shunsui. "Yoruichi-san, can you handle these forces?"

"Of course. This will just be like old times with Kukaku and I," said a grinning Yoruichi. The dark skinned woman jumped onto the shoulders of Jidanbo. Kukaku and Ganju jumped onto the shoulders of two other giants.

"Take care of yourself Yoruichi-chan," said Ranjana.

"I will father." Yoruichi gave her father a wink before ordering the giant squad to set up. The four giant gatekeepers headed for the eastern gate, stomping a horde of unlucky hollows under their feet in the process.

"Shall we execute our part of the plan?" asked Unohana. Shunsui and Ukitake nodded.

"Tessai, begin the preparations for casting Bakudo 98 over the Senzaikyu. Retsu, Jushiro and assist you in the casting," said Shunsui.

"Hey what about me Shunsui? I'm familiar with Bakudo 98 and I know it needs four vertices in order to be stable," said Shinji.

"Oh yeah I forgot about that. The four of us will assist Tessai in casting the spell. Then we will wait at the designated points around Seireitei in case Tsukuyomi and the Shitenno breach the gates." The four senior most captains of the Gotei 13 after Yamamoto spread out and headed to the cardinal points around the Senzaikyu. The Kido Corps captain Tessai headed for the Senzaikyu's roof top to begin the first stage of Bakudo 98.

"They've all gone," said Hikifune. She and Ranjana were the only two people left inside the 1st division barracks. Just then Ginrei and Toujou entered the captains' meeting room.

"There you are. We've been looking all over Seireitei for you," said Ginrei.

"Are your injuries healed?" asked Ranjana.

"Enough to fight at a decent level," said Toujou. He and Ginrei had their upper bodies heavily bandaged.

"What's going on? We heard Yamamoto's message," said Ginrei.

"Tsukuyomi and the Shitenno have attacked Soul Society with hundreds of thousands of hollows," said Ranjana. "The Gotei 13 is mobilizing to deal with the hollows right now, but Shunsui recommended the four of us should stay here and guard the Senzaikyu. If our lord Hideyoshi-sama fails to stop Tsukuyomi, we are the only ones who can fight him."

"I see. This is the worst possible situation. If only we knew about the truth sooner." Ginrei and Toujou had both been told the true story about Tsukuyomi and the Shitenno by Byakuya and Kenpachi. Neither of them was fazed much about the news. The four Royal Guards watched the War for Seireitei unfold from the 1st division barracks' balcony.

* * *

Kensei, Rose, Love, Mashiro and Lisa led a spearhead of about five hundred Shinigami towards the northern Seireitei gate. The lower ranked Shinigami were ordered to deal with the lesser hollows, to allow the five senior officers to concentrate on the Menos.

"Look there's hundreds of Gillians and Adjuchas up ahead!" exclaimed Mashiro.

"It looks like the gate's already partially breached," said Lisa. The five of them saw a huge mass of Menos hollows entering Seireitei through a gap in the outer gate that was steadily being chipped away from thousands of Cero blasts.

"We'll have to deal with the Menos that are inside the walls first. Let's get down and dirty guys!" shouted Kensei. In a synchronized motion all five of the Visored Shinigami donned their hollow masks and unsheathed their Zanpakutos. Crying out hollow like battle cries, they charged at the mass of Menos hollows, intent on destroying them all.

* * *

On the other side of Seireitei, Hitsugaya's strike team had also reached the vicinity of the southern gate. He, Matsumoto, Hinamori, Kira and Hisagi were leading a group of five hundred Shinigami.

"Matsumoto, Hinamori, tell the rank and file to concentrate on exterminating the normal hollows, then catch up with Kira, Hisagi and I. The five of us will deal with the Menos," said Hitsugaya.

"Yes Taicho," said Matsumoto. "Okay Hinamori-chan you head the captain!"

"Coming Rangiku-san!" Hinamori followed her lieutenant down to the ground level to issue orders to the regular soldiers. Hitsugaya, Kira and Hisagi flash stepped ahead. As the three men neared the masses of Gillians entering a partially breached outer gate, they unsheathed their swords.

"Kira, Hisagi, let's slaughter these Gillians," said Hitsugaya.

* * *

At the same moment, Yoruichi, Kukaku and Ganju and the giant squad had reached the eastern gate, which had already been partially breached by hundreds of Menos and thousands of regular hollows.

"Looks like they've already gotten in," said Yoruichi. "We'll have to clear them out first and find a way to plug the hole in the gate."

"Leave it us Yoruichi-sama. This is the job we Gatekeepers have trained for!" exclaimed Jidanbo. "Kaiwan, Hikonyuto, Danzomaru, let's go!" The four giants brandished skyscraper sized swords and axes and charged at the Gillians.

"Let's aid them Ganju," said Kukaku. She leaped off Kaiwan's and landed straight into the mass of Gillians in front of them.

"Coming Nee-san," said Ganju. He jumped off Danzomaru's shoulders and tried his best to catch up to his sister.

"Heh, looks like I don't need to do any work," said Yoruichi as she watched the carnage unfold from Jidanbo's shoulders.

* * *

Back at the Senzaikyu tower, the four senior captains and Tessai were in position. With Tessai casting another _Tenteikura_ spell that allowed the five of them to communicate with each other, they began the chant for the ultimate shield barrier.

"Wind of the North, blow away the encroaching flames that threaten to consume us all," said Shunsui.

"Fire of the South, burn through the rotten flesh of evil that hangs around us," said Ukitake.

"Water of the East, wash away the sins of the damned and purify the world," said Unohana.

"Light of the West, shine a beacon for us and pierce the veil of darkness," said Shinji. After each of them completed their chants, pillars of light erupted from their bodies that shot up into the sky.

"Earth of the Center, bind together the four holy elements. As the hour of the damned approaches, may the shield of the Gods protect us all!" shouted Tessai. "Bakudo 98, _Shin'yuu Kanmon_!" A pillar of light erupted from Tessai's body, and shot out streams of light that linked the other four pillars. Then a triple layer of pure spirit energy flowed from each of the pillars and slowly covered all of the Senzaikyu in a dense energy shield that generated the same current as the Sekki-seki shield protecting Seireitei.

"It is done," said Tessai. "Unless the five of us are all incapacitated, any enemy being who attempts to enter the Senzaikyu will be disintegrated by the barrier."

"Now then, lets' split up and fortify the key locations around Seireitei," said Shunsui. The five captains flash stepped off the Senzaikyu and headed towards their respective barracks to muster more soldiers.

* * *

All of the movements inside Seireitei were sensed by Yamamoto and Hideyoshi standing outside the western White Way Gate.

"Do you feel it Kenryusai? Every single Shinigami inside of Seireitei has responded to the call to arms," said Yamamoto. "The Gotei 13, the Onimitsukidou and the Kido Corps have all been mobilized. They will protect Seireitei until their last breath."

"Indeed, I sense thousands of Shinigami fighting the hordes of hollows even as we speak," said Hideyoshi. "This feeling really makes my heart proud. I never would imagine there would come a day when all of Soul Society would unite to fight a common enemy." The Commander of the Royal Guards closed his eyes and smiled, before gazing at Azrael and the Shitenno.

"What will you do now Tsukuyomi? Your army of hollows will be slaughtered before you and your men can get past my _Dai Tenrai Kabe_. We can all sit here until they are done."

"Hmph, how amusing," said Azrael with a slight chuckle. "All I can sense is a flock of headless chickens running around without a clue. By the time your men finish killing all of the hollows, I will already have made it to the King's Realm."

"Where is the basis for that boast Tsukuyomi? As long as my lightning wall is up, you cannot enter Seireitei."

"Are you so sure about that?" Azrael gave Hideyoshi a piercing sinister grin. Then, a massive beam of green energy suddenly shot through the wall of lightning and blasted a huge hole in the outer Seireitei wall.

"Where did that blast come from?" asked Yamamoto in astonishment. His question was soon answered when four towering figures emerged from the shadows behind Azrael and walked forwards. Hideyoshi and Yamamoto gasped in dismay, for in front of their very eyes were four Doomwalkers, beings of immense power and destruction.

"Impossible! Those are King Emna's Vanguards!" exclaimed Hideyoshi in shock. "The Supreme Kushanada who are only deployed to eliminate the most powerful and evil of the Togabito! How could they end up here?"

"Do you want to know how? I wrested them from King Enma's grasp while I was in Jigoku and brought them with me after I escaped," said Azrael.

"So you were the one responsible for the first Doomwalker's attack on Seireitei. I never imagined you had more of them at your command," said Yamamoto. The four Doomwalkers casually walked through the wall of lightning without being effected at all.

"Let's see how you gentleman will deal with my most powerful servants!" Azrael started laughing madly as the Doomwalkers advanced towards Yamamoto and Hideyoshi.

* * *

Comments:

This chapter marks the turning point of Soul Society's Civil War, as the previous skirmishes between the captains and the Royal Guards turns into a full scale invasion of Seireitei. I am hoping that this war will eclipse the scale and intensity of the Arrancar War in the Bleah Manga.

*Dai Tenrai Kabe(大天籟かべ): Means "Great Lightning Wall" in Japanese. This is Hideyoshi's equivalent of Yamamoto's Jokaku Enjo, and is one of the most powerful abilities of his Zanpakuto Raijin Shinsuu.

*Bakudo 97 Ban'yuu TenteiKura(万有天挺空羅): Means "Universal Heavenly Void Net" in Japanese. This spell is basically the super-powered version of Tenteikura. Whereas Bakudo 77 only allows the caster to transmit messages to an people within a certain area, Bakudo 97 allows a user to transmit messages to anyone they can think of, and allows them to broadcast images across a large space on a projector like screen. Basically Yamamoto has sent his message to every single person inside of Seireitei.

*Bakudo 98 Shin'yuu Kanmon(神佑関門): Means "Heavenly Protection Barrier" in Japanese. Arguably the most powerful barrier Kido in existence (Bakudo 99 is more of a restraining/offensive Bakudo), I introduced it to have a scene where the five most powerful captains other than Yamamoto combined their powers to protect Seireitei, as a homage of how the teachers of Hogwarts cast a shield over the school during the final battle in Harry Potter and the Deathy Hallows.

*The Gatekeepers: When writing this chapter I knew I had to have four giants join in the fray. It is a pity that except for Jidanbo the other three gatekeepers only appeared once in the manga, and did not show up in the anime at all (except for fillers). This chapter sees them performing their official duties for the first time ever.

*King Enma: He was introduced before in Chapter 51 but I forgot to make a note about him. As his name would indicate, he is the King of Jigoku (Hell). Not much is known about him, other than the fact that the Doomwalkers were actually his personal guardians, and who were responsible for ordering the normal Kushanada around.


	60. Chapter 60: Passing on the Light

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

Thanks to **HokkaidoMaster, Shadow knight, Ghost 2113**, and every one else who sent in reviews for this chapter! Also a big thanks to everyone who has followed this story up to this point! I would never have gotten to 60 chapters without you guys! Once again, some major events happen in this chapter which might shock and surprise many readers. I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

Chapter 60: Passing on the Light

At the Northern Black Ridge Gate, a Gotei 13 Army Corps formed from the elements of the 3rd, 7th, 8th and 9th divisions began its battle against a horde of Menos and normal hollows attempting to enter Seireitei. Hundreds of rank and file Shinigami cut through thousands of ordinary hollows, but for every hollow that was killed, two more seemed to take their place.

At the forefront of the battle were the captains and the lieutenants who had the difficult task of killing the Gillians and Adjuchas already inside the gate and preventing the rest from knocking the gate down with thousands of _cero_ blasts. With wartime authorization to use the full extent of their powers, none of them held back.

"Kick out, _Kazekyaku_!" shouted Mashiro. The 9th division 3rd seat released her Zanpakuto, transforming her sword into a pair of white metallic boots that emitting a constant stream of wind. With her cricket like hollow mask boosting her overall powers, the lively Mashiro lashed out at the nearby Gillians with her powerful kicks. With a circular windmill kick she destroyed the heads of four Gillians. She followed it up by landing on the heads of two other Gillians and doing the splits right down their faces. Mashiro finished by doing a spinning pile drive kick onto the head of an Adjucha that was about to fire a _cero_ at her.

"Flawless victory!" shouted Mashiro in triumph.

"Don't get carried away Mashiro!" scolded Lisa. "We still have a lot of Menos left." The 8th division lieutenant used her trademark blade move _Senmaioroshi_ to shred a nearby Gillian into thousands of tiny pieces. She then spoke the command "Smash, _Haguro Tonbo_", turning her sealed nodachi sword into a six foot long pole arm with a four foot long monk's spade. Lisa landed in the middle of a group of fifteen Gillians and slammed the monk's blade into the ground.

"_Daichi Funka_!" shouted Lisa. In an instant the ground around her erupted outwards, consuming all of the Gillians in superhot steam and rock.

"That about does it for the Menos inside the gate," said Lisa.

"Watch out Lisa-san!" shouted Mashiro. Unbeknownst to Lisa, a Gillian had snuck up upon her and was about to fire off a _cero_.

"Oh crap!" swore Lisa as she tried to remove her Shikai from the ground. Just as the Gillian was about to fire a cero, it was suddenly split open from head to toe by a blade. As the two halves of the Gillian toppled over and disintegrated, Lisa and Mashiro were surprised to see the figure of Iba Tetsuzaemon.

"You ladies need a hand?" asked the yakuza-like 7th division lieutenant.

"We appreciate the help Iba," said Lisa. Just then, the three of them heard a loud explosion nearby. They looked and saw to their horror the Black Ridge Gate collapsing in a pile of rubble. With the gate knocked down, over a thousand Menos Grande charged through the opening.

"Shit the gate's down already!" swore Kensei. "We've got to wipe the Gillians out before they start firing ceros everywhere!"

"Leave it to me Kensei-san. I'll destroy their heads with my Bankai," said Rose. The colorful 3rd division captain jumped into the air and released his Bankai, transforming his sealed Zanpakuto into a giant six foot long trumpet with a massive main horn and numerous side chambers attached. Rose frantically pressed several keys on his instrument before shouting out "_Resonance Bakudan_!" A small round object resembling a cluster bomb was suddenly fired from the trumpet's main horn. It flew towards the Gillians at supersonic speed. When the bomb was roughly in the centre of the mass of Gillians Rose shouted out the phrase "_Dai Sanban Homekotoba_, _Danse Macabre_!"

The cluster bomb detonated, releasing a thunderous sonic shockwave that reverberated across the mass of Gillians. The sound emitted by the shockwave was so loud that each of the Menos' heads exploded like balloons.

"See that? All of their heads went boom!" laughed Rose.

"Idiot they're still standing!" shouted Kensei. He pointed out the fact the Gillians continued to walk despite the fact they were headless.

"You should know that to properly kill a Menos, you have to make sure they completely disintegrate," said Love. The 7th division captain yelled out "Bankai!" He summoned a skyscraper sized Tengu monster wielding a giant spiked Kanabo club. Love jumped into a cockpit inside the monster's head, and directed his Tengu monster to raise its club over his head with both hands.

"This is how you finish Menos off,_ Dai Enko Tatakitsubusu_!" shouted Love. The Kanabo club lit up with smoldering flames. Love directed his giant to swing the club down upon the Gillians. As soon as the club hit the ground it caused a spark that ignited a superheated jet of flames that carved a trail of fire over a kilometre into Rukongai. Half of the thousand or so Gillians that were caught in the flames were incinerated into ashes.

"Dang, my aim was off!" swore Love when he realized he had failed to hit all of the Menos in one go.

"Tch, both you and Rose are careless. If you're gonna exterminate the Gillians, then do it thoroughly!" shouted Kensei. The silver-haired captain of the 9th division jumped into the air and called out "Bankai, _Tekken Tachikaze_!" His sealed Zanpakuto transformed into a pair of knuckle blades that Kensei gripped with both hands. Segmented purple bands then covered both of his arms and shoulders, with a large purple arch band around his neck and two bands tapering off behind his arms. Kensei brought his knuckle blades out in front of his body and started charging his reiryoku into them. Once they were fully charged, Kensei yelled out "_Saigo no Kaze Bakuha_!"

His knuckle blades fired out a super concentrated blast of air pressure that completely disintegrated the remaining five hundred Gillians, proceeding to carve a trench in the ground that stretched for two kilometers into Rukongai before finally dissipating.

"It is done," said Kensei with a sigh of relief. He and the other Visoreds were exhausted, having used almost all of their spirit energy in unleashing their best moves. They and the five hundred or so Shinigami they led were about to celebrate their victory when all of a sudden they sensed an overwhelming amount of reiatsu coming from the Western White Way Gate.

"This reiatsu!" exclaimed Rose.

"It feels like…Doomwalkers!" shouted Love.

"You're kidding me, we're facing those creatures again?" asked Kensei in dismay.

* * *

At the very moment, outside the western gate, Yamamoto and Hideyoshi were sweating nervously as four monstrous engines of destruction, the Doomwalkers, passed through Hideyoshi's lightning wall without a scratch and advanced towards them. With each step of their feet they caused the ground to disintegrate around them.

"Hideyoshi Miyamoto and Yamamoto Genryusai, the two of you have served long and illustrious careers. Your feats and exploits have already become the stuff of legends. However I doubt even Shinigami of your caliber will be able to take on four of King Enma's Vanguard simultaneously," gloated Azrael. "Just one Vanguard was enough to bring Seireitei to its knees. With four Vanguards at my disposal, there is no being in this universe that can stop me. Go my Vanguards, destroy Hideyoshi and Yamamoto and carve a bloody carve of destruction through Seireitei!" The four Doomwalkers advanced towards the two old men. Just as they were about to stomp upon them, a sudden explosion of flame and lightning blasted one of the Doomwalkers into thousands of pieces.

"You've got a lot of nerve saying such arrogant words to your seniors, boy," said Hideyoshi. The Commander of the Royal Guard's yellow were shining brightly.

"Who do you think you're talking too?" asked Yamamoto. The Captain Commander's red eyes were likewise blazing with resolve. The two old men were wielding their Shikai swords in their hands, each blade spewing immense amounts of lightning and flame respectively.

"The two of us have been defending Soul Society for the last three thousand years," said Hideyoshi. "Did you really think enemies of this caliber would faze us? It is time to teach you punks a lesson!"

Azrael grinned smugly at Hideyoshi's words. The dark prince decided to watch and see how he and Yamamoto would deal with the Doomwalkers.

"Genryusai, I assume you have fought one of these creatures before," said Hideyoshi. "Do they have any weaknesses?"  
"None that I know of. Brute strength and overpowering force is the only way to defeat these monsters," replied Yamamoto.

"Well we are lucky that those are the two qualities we specialize in!" Hideyoshi intensified his reiatsu, channeling more spirit energy into his _Raijin Shinsuu_. The stream of electrical current flowing from his sword intensified. As one of his Shikai's most basic abilities, the power of Hideyoshi's _Houden _was capable of generating over ten trillion watts of electricity per second, more than enough to power the entire human world's electricity consumption for an entire year.

Seeing his comrade's display of power, Yamamoto promptly unleashed his own Shikai's basic ability, _Taimatsu_, which was capable of generating molten flames as hot as the surface of the sun. The combined effect of Hideyoshi and Yamamoto's Shikai discharges was to create a sea of lightning and flames around them that would have reduced any Shinigami to ashes.

"That is quite a display gentlemen," said Azrael as a compliment. "The two of you certainly deserve your titles as the most powerful Shinigami of all time."

"Don't jump to assumptions yet Tsukuyomi…we have yet to show you our true powers!" exclaimed Hideyoshi. With a loud war cry the Commander of the Royal Guards leaped at the nearest Doomwalker and sliced at the monster from its head down. In an instant the Doomwalker was split in half and crumbled into dozens of pieces.

"My turn now!" shouted Yamamoto. The Captain Commander unleashed a burning torrent of flame quickly engulfed another Doomwalker from the ankles up. Within seconds the flames had melted the Doomwalker's body, leaving only its feet behind.

"Only one more to go, let's finish it off together Genryusai!" Hideyoshi and Yamamoto combined their Shikai's abilities to create a roaring tornado of flame and lightning that carved a ten foot wide hole in the last Doomwalker's chest, before blasting the monster apart. With all four of the Doomwalkers destroyed, Hideyoshi and Yamamoto were able to turn their attention to Azrael and the Shitenno.

"What do you think Tsukuyomi? Genryusai and I have destroyed the precious Vanguards you were counting on to break our defensive wall. The last trump card you were counting on has failed," said Hideyoshi. Instead of being annoyed at Hideyoshi's taunt, Azrael started laughing in an insane manner. The dark prince then put his hand to his brow and shook his head.

"I never thought you would make me laugh Hideyoshi-san. It is uncharacteristic of you to make such a wild miscalculation," taunted Azrael. "You taught me yourself that one only declares victory when he is certain his enemy has been absolutely annihilated. Let me ask you the question: are the two of you that confident that you've defeated my servants?"

Before Hideyoshi and Yamamoto could ask Azrael a question they suddenly felt an ominous wind blow around them. Before the two of them knew what was happening, they saw to their horror the broken pieces of the four Doomwalkers regenerating before their very eyes. In no time at all the engines of destruction were fully restored to normal.

"Impossible, I didn't know they had high speed regeneration!" exclaimed Yamamoto in dismay. The four Doomwalkers suddenly let out powerful roars that generated intense cyclonic winds that battered Seireitei's walls.

"Ha, ha, ha, it looks like those monsters are angry at what you old coots did to them!" laughed Suzaku.

"It certainly appears that way," said Azrael smugly. It took Hideyoshi and Yamamoto a few seconds to register what Suzaku and Azrael were talking about. The two of them looked up and saw immense amounts of spirit energy being concentrated in the Doomwalkers' mouths. Hideyoshi and Yamamoto panicked, knowing that a direct hit by all of the purple energy balls being charged by the Doomwalkers would obliterate Seireitei in an instant.

Without time for a plan, the two veteran Shinigami suddenly jumped into the air and summoned shields of lightning and fire around their bodies, just as the Doomwalkers fired off their purple energy balls. Hideyoshi and Yamamoto's shields expanded outwards a second before the energy balls hit them and detonated. Within seconds the entire area outside the Seireitei wall encircled by Hideyoshi's lightning wall was engulfed by a cataclysmic fireball of immense size and intensity. A shockwave of energy equivalent to a magnitude eight earthquake rippled across Seireitei and Rukongai, leveling any buildings made out of wood within the vicinity in an instant, and causing half of Seireitei's outer walls to buckle and fracture. Finally a towering column of fire and smoke over two kilometers wide shot out high into the sky. Even Azrael, the Shitenno and Aizen had to jump into the sky to avoid getting caught up in the inferno.

It took a few minutes for the column of fire to subside. As the smoke cleared, it was evident that the Doomwalkers' energy blasts had carved an enormous hole in the area surrounding the Western White Way Gate to a depth of a hundred metres. The Doomwalkers themselves had almost been disintegrated by their own attacks; only their high speed regeneration had allowed them to survive. As for Hideyoshi and Yamamoto, the two old Shinigami emerged from the fireball covered with horrible burns over their entire bodies. Both of them were doubled over on the ground, with a pool of blood forming under their bodies.

"Amazing, to think the two of you actually managed to withstand the full force of the Vanguards' _Fragors_," said Azrael. The dark prince started clapping in complement. "You really are Soul Society's most valiant defenders. But, it is clear that both of you are on your last breaths." Hideyoshi and Yamamoto panted heavily, coughing up blood from their mouths.

"We can't endure another round of their blasts Kenryusai," wheezed Yamamoto. "Seireitei will be destroyed if they fire at us again!"

"I know that Genryusai!" As he panted and wheezed, Hideyoshi thought deeply about what they should do in this most dire of circumstances. After going through all of the options in his head, he knew there was only one course left open to them.

"Genryusai, I think it is time for us to pass on the light to the new generation," said Hideyoshi. It took Yamamoto a few seconds to realize what Hideyoshi meant.

"You're thinking of using your Bankai and sacrificing yourself to destroy the Doomwalkers?" asked Yamamoto. Hideyoshi nodded.

"It is the only possible way we can protect Soul Society now." Yamamoto was hesitant at accepting Hideyoshi's suggestion. He knew full well how immensely powerful their Bankais were; there was a risk that just releasing them would destroy Seireitei. But Yamamoto also knew that if they did nothing Seireitei would still be destroyed and he and Hideyoshi would have died in vain.

"Alright, let's do it." Yamamoto hauled himself up from the ground. "Do you plan on being the only one to die?" Hideyoshi also got up onto his feet.

"Someone has to stay behind to pass on Izanagi-sensei's legacy. That person shouldn't be me. I'm but a remnant of the past that has no place in the new generation of Shinigami. I've lived a long and full life. I would like to redeem myself in a last act of glory than live on in ignominy."

Hearing his senpai's words made Yamamoto reflect back on the history he and Hideyoshi had shared together, and how their life experiences shaped the world views that had today. His mind flashed back to the days of his childhood, some three thousand years ago…

* * *

_ A young boy with a bald dome half walked, half stumbled across a vast open grass plain, searching desperately for any scraps of food. Having already walked for days through the wilderness without a single bite to eat or water to drink, the lad was on the brink of death. Just as the boy was about to faint from starvation, he was saved by a much older boy, with long flowing golden locks._

_ "Gosh you look awful," said the older boy. "Do you need something to eat? I have some food with me." The younger boy nodded and ate a loaf of breach given to him as if it was the most delicious thing he had eaten in his life._

_ "I'm Ken," said the older boy. "I've been around here for a while. What about you?"_

_ "I only arrived in this place a few days ago," said the younger boy. "I don't remember my name, or who I was."_

_ "Well, how about I call you Gen? It's easier if you have a name."_

_ "Gen…that's a nice name." The younger boy treasured his new found name. _

_ With nowhere to go and no one else to turn to, the newly-named Gen started following the elder boy Ken around. As they wandered through the vast expanse of wilderness that would later be called the Rukongai, the young Gen soon learned many things about the plane of existence he had stumbled upon. He learnt that he had died as a human in the real world and had passed on to the a realm known as Soul Society. _

_ Over time, the two of them became inseparable, and the bond between them became one of elder brother and younger brother. Ken and Gen soon matured into young men as they wandered through the Rukongai. Eventually they arrived at a large urban settlement that would one day form the basis of the great city known as Seireitei. It was the first time Gen and Ken had encountered such a large gathering of other people. Initially they were overwhelmed with joy. However the two young men soon discovered that the town was not as pleasant as they first thought. Everywhere they went they encountered houses belonging to families of people who had already lived in Soul Society for generations. These families, the ancestors of the Five Great Noble Clans, regarded any outsiders entering into the town with suspicion._

_ Shunned by everyone they met, Ken and Gen wandered across the town searching desperately for food and water. At the end of their rope the two young men found a well in the centre of the town._

_ "Hey let's see if there is water inside this well," said Ken._

_ "Wait Ken-san, we don't know how deep the well is!" protected Gen. Ken ignored his younger friend's protests and decided to jump into the well. In a panic Gen jumped into the well after his Senpai. The two men fell down a long and deep shaft for an undeterminable amount of time, before they slid down into what appeared to be an enormous cavern. _

_ "Where are we?" asked Gen. The two of them looked around and saw they were on the shores of vast underground lake. There was an island in the middle of the lake, accessed by a narrow walkway from the shore. Out of curiosity, Ken and Gen walked across the walkway and arrived at the island. When they got there they encountered the oldest looking man they had ever seen. He was sitting on a throne-like chair, surrounded by numerous bright lights. His long white hair and beard marked him as a man of wisdom._

_ "Welcome young lads. I have been expecting you," said the old man. His voice sounded deep and ancient, as if the man had already lived for an uncountable number of years._

_ "Who, who are you?" asked Ken._

_ "I am Izanagi, the creator of this world."_

_ "The creator? You mean like Kami-sama?" asked Gen. The old man chuckled._

_ "What is this place? Where are we right now?" Ken looked around and became anxious._

_ "This is the heart of the realm known as Soul Society. I created this plane eons ago as a sanctuary for spirits of the dead to find peace in the afterlife. The souls who have arrived here are all people who I was able to guide to this place with my powers. For the most part I have allowed them to live according to their own needs. Most of the souls who come here have wandered around Soul Society, living a blissful eternal existence. But over time I became aware that a number of souls with strong spiritual powers started clustering together in settlements and started replicating the same practices that had caused much strife and suffering in the human world. I realized that if Soul Society was to become a place for souls to rest in peace, it needed people who were enlightened to guide the masses."_

_ "Um, is that why we were brought here?" asked Ken. He and Gen had listened to the old man's story, but they still didn't quite understand why they had come to this place. _

_ "I sensed the dormant spiritual powers inside both of you the moment you arrived in Soul Society. I recognised the potential you two boys had as disciples that could pass on my wisdom and teachings to others. Despite vast powers I possess, I have little ability to influence what goes on in the world above."_

_ "Let me get this straight, you want us to become your agents? What is in it for us?" Gen could tell that Ken still wasn't convinced by the old man's words._

_ "I understand your skepticism. Few humans are selfless enough to serve under someone they have just met and who they do not understand. I already anticipated your response." The old man extended his hand out to Ken and Gen. "I can help unlock the vast potential powers sleeping inside of you. I can impart to you all of the knowledge, skill and wisdom I have and transform the two of you from mere humans to beings of incredible power, beings that can shape the world for better or for worse." _

_ Ken and Gen considered Izanagi's offer for a moment. They both realized how meaningless their lives had been till this moment. With nothing to lose, the two young men accepted the offer and henceforth began their training under the Spirit of King of Soul Society._

_ The pair spent an uncountable number of years inside that cave learning all of the skills and knowledge that Izanagi possessed. By the time they were finished, the world of Soul Society had changed. The urban settlement Ken and Gen had walked through in their youth had become a bustling walled city filled with thousands of people, whilst millions more souls had settled in the vast expanses of wilderness beyond. But Ken and Gen had undergone dramatic changes too. From young teenagers they had matured into men of immense power and wisdom. They were no longer Ken and Gen anymore; now they were Hideyoshi Miyamoto Kenryusai and Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, the first ever Shinigami. _

_ The pair emerged from the underground to find the walled city, now called Seireitei, under attack from hordes of monstrous creatures with holes and masks called hollows. With their new found powers Hideyoshi and Yamamoto destroyed the hollows and saved the residents of Seireitei. The ancestors of the Five Great Noble Clans, who remembered the two young boys who had wandered through the early days of Seireitei begging for food, demanded to know where and how Hideyoshi and Yamamoto obtained their powers. The two men began preaching to those around them of the mission they had received from the Spirit King Izanagi, and their goal of gathering an army of like-minded followers to protect Soul Society and eventually the human world from evil spirits. _

_ The ancestors of the Kuchikis were skeptical of Hideyoshi and Yamamoto's words. They demanded proof that of the existence of the spirit king Izanagi._

_ "If you want proof, the follow us down the well," said Hideyoshi. The ancestors of the Shibas were the first people to see Izanagi, and after they emerged from the underground cave with incredible new powers, it did not take much to convince the other noble clans to follow suit. Soon Hideyoshi and Yamamoto had built up a large gathering of followers, all of them Shinigami personally trained by Izanagi himself. Following the mission Izanagi had given them, the two elders led their fellow Shinigami on a mission to pacify all of the Soul Society, and embark on journeys to the real world to guide more innocent souls to the afterlife._

_ Hundreds of years passed, and the small gathering of Shinigami Hideyoshi and Yamamoto founded grew into a vast army numbering in the hundreds. Soul Society was also transformed, with the walled city of Seireitei growing to accommodate tens of thousands of citizens, whilst millions upon millions of souls had made their homes in what was now known as the Rukongai. _

_ One day, about a thousand years after Hideyoshi and Yamamoto first fell down the well, Izanagi summoned the two men to his sanctuary again._

_ "My involvement in the affairs of Soul Society and the human world is at an end. I have no longer have the power to monitor and guide the spirits of the living and the dead. It is up to the two of you to carry on my legacy. The two of you are my greatest students. I am proud of what you have accomplished. But, just as I passed on my wisdom and experience to you, it is now time for you to pass on the wisdom and experience you have gained to the next generation. From now on, you are the guardians of the light."_

_ "We understand Izanagi-sensei," said Hideyoshi. He and Yamamoto carried out the Spirit King's wishes. The pair set about organizing the army they had led into a formal organisation that would guard Seireitei and monitor the spirits of the dead in both Soul Society and the Real World. Thus the Gotei 13 was born, with Hideyoshi as its first Captain Commander. In addition to being a founding captain, Yamamoto went on to found the Shinoreijutsuin_,_ the Spiritual Arts Academy. He would become its first headmaster, teaching a new generation of Shinigami the skills and wisdom he had learnt from Izanagi._

_ Over the following thousand years, thousands of Shinigami joined the Gotei 13, and countless individuals of remarkable strength and bravery were inducted into the ranks of the captains. Hideyoshi and Yamamoto presided over a millennium of peace and stability. However, everything changed when Hideyoshi was summoned by the Reioh to the Heart of Seireitei alone. When he returned, he bore news that would shatter the bonds he and Yamamoto had shared together._

_ "Izanagi-sensei has created a pocket dimension inside the Heart of Seireitei in order to house his extended family. He wants me to be the head of a group of bodyguards tasked with defending that dimension," said Hideyoshi. "Which is why…I am passing on the title of Sotaicho to you Genryusai." _

_ "Are you planning to leave for that pocket dimension forever?" asked Yamamoto. Hideyoshi nodded. The elder Senpai handed Yamamoto a golden key._

_ "This is the key that will unlock the portal to the King's Realm. You must keep this a secret from everyone else."_

_ "I understand Kenryusai."_

_ "This is the last time you and I will be speaking to each other. The future of Soul Society is your hands now. Make sure you pass on Izanagi-sensei's light to the new generation." _

_ After those last words, Hideyoshi and a group of selected captains departed for the King's Realm, becoming the first of the Royal Guards. Yamamoto became the new Captain Commander, entrusted with the security of Seireitei._

* * *

"Now is the time for me to perform my sacred duty as the Reioh's personal guardian,' said Hideyoshi. "I have lived a long fulfilling life." With a grin on his face the Commander of the Royal Guards slammed his sword in to the ground, before shouting the words "Bankai!" In an instant an intense cyclonic storm formed a hundred metres in the sky above Hideyoshi. With raging winds at speeds over five hundred kilometres an hour, the storm crackled with the sound of thunder and lightning. From the 'eye' of the storm a beam of light shot down and engulfed Hideyoshi. Within a few seconds the old man's body grew to an immense size, to the point where he stood even taller than the Doomwalkers. Once he stopped growing, Hideyoshi was gradually engulfed by a layer of electricity until his entire body was now made of pure lightning. The hair on his hair and beard grew outwards and solidified, resembling sparks of lightning coming out of his head. Finally, an overpowering aura of golden reiatsu emanated from his body, bathing the surroundings in a bright light.

"_Keshin no Rai, Rai no Kami Raijin Shinsuu_," said Hideyoshi. The name of his Bankai was apt, for Hideyoshi resembled nothing less than a god of thunder.

"Your Bankai release never ceases to amaze me Kenryusai," complimented Yamamoto. "I am not quite ready to die yet, but I will follow your example and unleash my true power anyway." The Captain Commander also slammed his sword into the ground and shouted out "Bankai!" His entire body was engulfed by a plume of red hot flames. The flames rose, expanded and solidified into a humanoid shape. First a head appeared, followed by both arms. The torso took shape, with the chest muscles and a six pack forming. The legs then appeared, covered by what appeared to be a hakama. The eyes, nose, ears and mouth appeared with the final feature being a thick beard that stretched down to the waist. When the transformation was complete, a giant flaming version of Yamamoto towered over the Doomwalkers and matched Hideyoshi in height and presence.

"_Keshin no Ka, Hi no Kami Ryujin Jakka_," said Yamamoto.

"What an impressive sight. It is not every day you see the Bankais of the two most powerful Shinigami of all time," said Azrael as a sarcastic compliment. "But, with such great power comes a great risk. I wonder how you will fight in your current states without destroying Seireitei." Azrael was the only person standing on the other side of the lightning wall who was still standing upright in the face of the sheer spiritual pressure being emitted from the two Commanders' Bankais. The Shitenno and Aizen were all forced to their knees. The immense reiatsu of Hideyoshi and Yamamoto's Bankais was enough to make even the Doomwalkers hesitant to approach them.

"It is time Genryusai. On my signal, use your Bankai's _Rairin Katon_ to fire a miniature sun in my direction," said Hideyoshi.

"Are you planning on destroying all of the Doomwalkers with your _Chou Shinsei_?" asked Yamamoto. It was a rhetorical question; Yamamoto already knew Hideyoshi had made up his mind.

"I thank you from the bottom of my heart Gen-san. Take care of yourself and be sure to watch over the new generation."

"I will Ken-san." Yamamoto watched as friend and comrade of three thousand years started rising into the sky. When Hideyoshi was about a hundred metres into the air he shot out tendrils of lightning from his hands. These tendrils engulfed the four Doomwalkers, causing them to be caught under the magnetic force of Hideyoshi's Bankai form. Azrael, the Shitenno and Aizen all watched on in amazement as the four Doomwalkers were pulled into the sky by a powerful gravitational force. Within seconds Enma's Vanguards were now caught in a close circular orbit around Hideyoshi's body, connected to each other by bands of lightning.

When Hideyoshi rose to a kilometer above the ground, he emitted a shining light from his body that was clearly visible below. This was the signal for Yamamoto to begin his final move.

"_Rairin Katon_!" shouted Yamamoto. The Captain Commander grimaced as he channeled all of his immense spiritual energy into the palm of his hands. A sudden flash of light followed by an explosion of energy marked the birth of a miniature sun, a swirling maelstrom of hydrogen and helium gas emitting light so powerful that Azrael and everyone else on the other side of the lightning wall had to cover their eyes to avoid being permanently blinded. Yamamoto poured even more of his reiatsu into the nascent star until it was over two feet in diameter.

"Kenryusai, catch!" With a giant heave of his right arm Yamamoto threw his miniature sun into the air. The ball of hot incandescent gas was quickly caught by Hideyoshi's gravitational attraction and seconds later the Commander of the Royal Guards was holding it with both of his hands.

"Thank you Gen-san." Hideyoshi closed his eyes and briefly remembered the moments he and Yamamoto had shared together, from the days of their youth, to the founding of Seireitei, and the numerous wars and battles they fought at the forefront of the Gotei 13.

"What's going on up there?" asked Byakko. "Hideyoshi-san is so high up in the sky that I can't even see him!"

"I think he is planning to blow himself up along with Enma's Vanguard," commented Genbu.

"Ha, ha, ha, that crazy old man has finally lost it!" laughed Suzaku. "It will be good riddance if he is gone."

"No doubt he will be planning to go out in a blaze of glory," said Seiryuu. Azrael and Aizen said nothing. The two of them could sense the fluctuations in Hideyoshi's spiritual; they knew that any moment now, they would be witnessing one of a spectacular sight. The Doomwalkers who were trapped by Hideyoshi's gravity also sensed their imminent demise, and in a last ditch effort attempted to obliterate him with full power _Fragors_. Their efforts were in vain, for before they could finish charging their blasts, Hideyoshi screamed out "_Chou Shinsei_!"

In an instant, the miniature sun in Hideyoshi's hands detonated, in an event that would forever be etched in the annals of Soul Society's history as the greatest single explosion of all time. Within seconds the blast of fire and energy had swelled into a gargantuan sphere over twenty kilometres wide, dwarfing the entire city of Seireitei. The shockwaves from the explosion were so great that all of Seireitei's walls, the top half of the Senzaikyu, and the roofs of thousands of other buildings were blown away. The Sekki-seki force field protecting the skies of Seireitei was shattered in an instant, rendering everyone in the streets of the city vulnerable to showers of fire and ash.

High up in the epicenter of the supernova explosion, the four Doomwalkers were instantly vaporized down to the atomic level. As for Hideyoshi, the gallant Commander of the Royal Guards had passed away peacefully before his body was disintegrated by his own blast.

Down at the ground level, Yamamoto gazed up at the explosion with a feeling of sadness in his heart. For the first time in his life, there were tears from the Captain Commander's eyes.

"Goodbye Ken-san. I shall pass on your light to the next generation," said Yamamoto.

* * *

Comments:

This chapter contains one of the most important flashbacks regarding Bleach's backstory, as it not only tells of Yamamoto and Hideyoshi's histories, it also depicts the founding of Seireitei and the Gotei 13, something I am sure many readers of Bleach would have liked Kubo to show. Of course, the flashback isn't the only major event that occurs in this chapter. The death of Hideyoshi represents the third major good character to die in this story, which shows that not even the most powerful characters are safe from death.

*Daichi Funka(だいち噴火): Means "Ground Eruption" in Japanese. This is the basic ability of Lisa's Zanpakuto Haguro Tonbo. As its name implies it causes the ground around her to erupt when she thrusts the tip of her Shikai into the ground.

*Resonance Bakudan(爆弾): Bakudan means "bomb" in Japanese, so this ability of Rose's Bankai is essentially a 'resonance bomb' which is fired out of his large trumpet shaped Bankai Daidenki Kinshara.

*Dai Sanban Homekotoba(大三番褒め詞), Danse Macabre: Dai Sanban Homekotoba means "Third Eulogy", whilse Danse Macabre means "Dance of Death" in French. This is arguably Rose's most powerful Bankai move, triggered by the firing of his Resonance Bakudan, which causes a sonic shockwave so powerful that the heads of enemies caught within the shockwave explode.

*Dai Enko Tatakitsubusu(大炎光叩き潰す): Means "Great Flame Smash Up" in Japanese. This is one of the moves of Love's Bankai, Daitengumaruoh, and arguably one more powerful than Hifuki no Kizuchi, as demonstrated by the sheer size of its flame trail.

*Saigo no Kaze Bakuha(最後の風爆破): Means "Final Wind Blast". The most powerful ability of Kensei's Bankai Tekken Tachikaze. Like his Tachiken, this move is a homage to Vegeta's Final Flash attack from DBZ, both in its execution and its effect.

*Houden(放電): Means "Electrical Discharge" in Japanese. This is the basic ability of Hideyoshi's Raijin Shinshuu to control electricity, in a similar fashion to Ryujin Jakka's Taimatsu.

*Ken, Gen and Izanagi: When depicting Yamamoto and Hideyoshi when they were children, I figured that both of them would not have been called by the long names they currently have, and would have simply called each other by the shorter versions of their first names (Kenryusai and Genryusai). As for Izanagi, I depicted him as a wise old men who is unable to move around despite his vast power, and thus needed followers to assist him.

*Keshin no Rai, Rai no Kami(化身の雷,雷の神) Raijin Shinshuu: Means "Avatar of Lightning, Lightning God" Raijin Shinshuu. This is Hideyoshi's Bankai. Like Yamamoto's Bankai, it is special in that it allows Hideyoshi to instantly enter into the Keshin state and maintain it indefinitely. It is arguably the most powerful and most destructive Bankai in Soul Society alongside Yamamoto's Bankai.

*Rairin Katon(来臨): Rairin means "Advent", and Katon means "Fire Release", so the name of this move means "Advent Fire Release." This is the most powerful of Yamamoto's Bankai's abilities, as it allows him to channel the power of nuclear fusion to create miniature suns in his hand (Like God Father in Fullmetal Alchemist). Though obviously not shown in this chapter, it has the destructive power to easily destroy a large city.

*Chou Shinsei(超新星): Means "Supernova" in Japanese. As its name implies this is Hideyoshi's ultimate suicide move, where, after gathering an immense source of energy like Yamamoto's Rairin Katon, his Bankai causes the energy to explode. As this chapter shows, this move is by far the most powerful and destructive ability ever demonstrated in this story, and is easily greater than anything shown in the Bleach manga.


	61. Chapter 61: Masters of Kido

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

Thank you to everyone who sent in reviews! I really appreciate the feedback I've received.

* * *

Chapter 61: Masters of Kido

The effects of Hideyoshi's sacrificial explosion were felt by every single being inside Seireitei. All of the Shinigami and Onimitsukidou militia who were fighting in the streets of Seireitei were knocked down by the blast shockwave. Those who were inside division barracks at the time the explosion went off hastily ducked under desks or other bits of furniture when the roofs of their buildings were blown off.

The ones who were most affected were the Royal Guards who had been standing patiently inside the top levels of the Senzaikyu as the explosion struck. Within seconds the top most towers of the Senzaikyu were blown away, and only by surrounding themselves with reiatsu barriers did the Royal Guards prevent themselves from being caught along with the shockwaves. As the remnants of the 1st division barracks' roof crumbled, the four Royal Guards recovered and tried to ascertain what had happened.

"What was that explosion?" asked Hikifune.

"Up there in the sky," pointed Ranjana. The four of them studied the mushroom cloud remnant of the explosion carefully. Toujou was the first to realize the source.

"This reiatsu…it belongs to Hideyoshi-sama!" exclaimed Toujou.

"I don't feel his reiatsu anymore. Does this mean he-?" Ginrei trailed off before he could finish his question, but all of them realized what the answer was. They couldn't feel their Commander's reiatsu because it no longer existed. As the truth sunk in, their hearts were filled with despair and agony.

"No, Hideyoshi-sama!" cried Hikifune. She fell onto her knees and started sobbing. "Why, why did you have to sacrifice yourself for us?"

"Damn it!" swore Ranjana as he pounded the ground in frustration. "If only we had heeded Yamamoto Sotaicho and the others' warnings earlier! This would never have happened."

"Hideyoshi-sama performed the ultimate duty of a Royal Guard, giving his life to protect Soul Society. We must be prepared to do the same," said Toujou.

"Until that time comes we must fight against Tsukuyomi and the Shitenno with everything we've got," said Ginrei.

* * *

Back at the Western White Way Gate, Yamamoto observed the fading remnants of Hideyoshi's sacrificial explosion. He realized that it had been disproportionate sacrifice. The four Doomwalkers were nothing but expendable bait, whereas Hideyoshi was arguably Soul Society's strongest fighter. Yamamoto quickly turned his attention to the ground when he sensed a sudden shift in the surrounding spiritual pressure. His eyes widened in despair when he saw the lightning wall that had been keeping Azrael and his henchmen at bay fade away.

"Well, well, it appears the annoying wall is gone now that Hideyoshi-san is no more," said Azrael in a smug tone. The arrogant prince strutted forward, advancing towards Yamamoto.

"You shall not pass!" croaked Yamamoto at the top of his lungs. Despite his most valiant effort, the Captain Commander's attempt at resistance was in vain. At this moment, his Bankai form dissipated, returning him to his exhausted and heavily burnt normal state. Having expended all of his reiryoku in forming the _Rairin Katon_ for Hideyoshi to use in his sacrificial explosion, Yamamoto didn't even have enough strength to stand. Slowly the old man's knees buckled and he toppled over onto his front.

"Damn it…" swore Yamamoto just as Azrael walked beside him. The dark prince unsheathed his sword from its scabbard and pointed it at Yamamoto's head.

"I have a waited an eternity for this moment," grinned Azrael evilly. "It is over Yamamoto Genryusai." Just as Azrael was about to stab Yamamoto through the head, he was suddenly stopped by Aizen.

"Please, there is no need to kill a defenceless old man father," said Aizen. "He is already on his deathbed. There is nothing he can do to stop you now." Azrael considered his son's words, and watched as the flame wall that had been blocked the shattered gate entrance faded away.

"Hmph, very well, I'll accede to you request, since I know how much respect you have for Yamamoto Genyrusai." Azrael unsheathed his sword again and proceeded to walk through the gate entrance. He relished the sensation at returning to the hallowed grounds of Seireitei after more than half millennium of absence. It took him only a few seconds however to notice the countermeasures the Gotei 13 had prepared for them.

"Oh, they've gone and hidden the Senzaikyu under an invisible barrier?" guffawed Azrael.

"It must be Bakudo 98 _Shin'yuu Kanmon_," said Genbu.

"Man they must be desperate to stop us to have resorted to that spell," quipped Suzaku.

"We'll need to kill the captains who are maintaining the five pillars in order to bring down the barrier," said Seiyruu.

"Heh, heh, I know exactly who they are. These fools haven't even bothered hiding their spiritual pressures," sniggered Byakko.

"The four of us will hunt them down and clear the path for you Tsukuyomi-dono," said Suzaku. He and the three other Shitenno suddenly dispersed and flash stepped across Seireitei in search of the captains who were maintaining the barrier around the Senzaikyu.

"Are you not going to join them Sousuke? I thought you would relish a chance to fight your former comrades again," said Azrael.

"I've already had the chance to fight them once before father. It would be boring to face them again," replied Aizen. The clone of Azrael followed patiently behind his father as the dark prince strutted through the streets of Seireitei.

* * *

Due to the Sekki-seki barrier over Seireitei having been broken by Hideyoshi's sacrificial explosion, the thousands of flying hollows who had been hovering above the walled city were suddenly allowed the chance to descend upon the hapless Shinigami and civilians below. One of the first places the hollows targeted was the Shinoreijutsuin, the Shinigami Academy. Dozens of winged hollows landed inside the Academy's front courtyard, causing a few students who had been brave enough to return to the campus to shriek in horror. Most of them were smart enough to run away in terror. At this moment however, a group of about five first year female students who had been hiding inside the Academy building to avoid the large explosion over Seireitei suddenly came out the front doors. They found themselves surrounded by more than a dozen ravenous hollows, hungry for their souls.

The girls immediately tried to run back inside but to their horror they found the doors of the building had been locked by selfish students who had put their own safety first. Sensing their helplessness, the hollows attacked, with one hollow lashing out at a defenceless blonde haired girl with a long snake-like tongue.

"Help!" cried the girl, but her classmates were all frozen stiff in terror. Just as the hollow was about to reel the girl in with its tongue, another Academy student suddenly appeared out of nowhere and sliced half of the tongue off with an asauchi blade.

"Are you alright?" asked Kurosaki Karin. The first year Academy student and younger sister of Kurosaki Ichigo had spotted her classmates being surrounded by the hollows. Without hesitation she had leaped into the fray.

"Thank you Karin-chan," said the girl.

"Wait up Karin-chan!" shouted the voice of Yuzu as she caught up to her sister.

"Yuzu, look after our classmates," ordered Karin.

"What about you Karin-chan?" asked Yuzu as she started applying healing Kido to her blonde-haired friend.

"I'm going to take these hollows on," Karin's body was shaking with both fear and excitement at the prospect of facing so many hollows at once. _This is the moment I've been waiting for. I finally get an opportunity to put my skills to the test. _With a best attempt at a battle cry, Karin leaped at the hollows, much to Yuzu's dismay.

"Karin-chan, you can't take them all on by yourself!" shouted Yuzu. However, she soon realized how strong her sister was when she saw Karin slicing through the hollows like a hot knife through butter. _Wow, Karin-chan is so strong and brave. She's just like Onii-chan_. _I can't just sit here and watch. I have to help out too_. Yuzu finished healing the blonde haired girl, before checking her other classmates to see if they were okay.

"Alright, that's the last one!" exclaimed Karin as he finished off the final hollow. Just as she started celebrating, a massive blue energy blast suddenly smashed into the Academy building, blowing a huge portion of the top most floors, and sending a pile of rubble crashing down upon Karin and the other girls.

"Where did that come from?" asked Karin. As the dust cleared Karin saw a figure emerge at the Academy's front entrance. It was a giant of a man, the largest person Karin had ever seen, wearing a tortoise shell on his back and dressed in an elaborate black haori over an ornate Shihakusho. His most distinctive feature was a strange black tattoo on his bald head. As soon as the man entered the Academy grounds Karin's knees buckled under the weight of an immense reiatsu emanating from him. _What an enormous spiritual pressure…I've never felt anything like it_. Karin sensed Yuzu and her other classmates being overcome by the reiatsu and falling over. _I can't give in! There's no one who can protect Yuzu-chan and my nakama except me right now. I have to be like Ichi-nii, who never gave in, no matter how scary the enemy was!_

It took all of Karin's determination and courage to channel her spirit energy into creating a giant red energy ball in the palm of her hand. She let the ball fall and with a mighty kick of her right foot sent the ball flying at the giant man's face. To Karin's utter dismay the man easily caught the energy ball with his right hand, and smothered it out with one single gesture.

"Hmm, this reiryoku is familiar…" pondered the man. He glared at Karin. "Are you related to Shiba Isshin by any chance?" Karin was initially confused at what the man was talking about, but then she remembered her father was related to Aunt Kukaku.

"He's my old man," answered Karin. The giant bald man's eyes suddenly lit up in a sinister fashion. He pointed his right index finger at Karin.

"I suspected as much. Die now," said the man. Karin fell onto her knees in terror, realizing that she was going to be killed any moment now. She closed her eyes and prayed for her brother to save her when the man fired a beam of blue energy at her.

Seconds before the energy beam hit Karin, it was deflected by a red energy beam and was sent flying into the air. A moment later two figures flash stepped in front of a startled Karin. The young girl was initially confused as to whom her saviors were, but she then recognised one of the figures, a large burly man with glasses and a thick moustache.

"Are you alright Kurosaki Karin-chan?" asked Tsukabishi Tessai.

"Tessai-san!" exclaimed Karin. She was happy to see the friendly former employee of Urahara Shoten again. Tessai bent his giant frame down and whispered into Karin's ears.

"Run Karin-chan. Take your sister and your nakama and head for the evacuation centers as soon as possible! The streets of Seireitei are no longer safe anymore."

Karin immediately understood what Tessai meant. She plucked up all of her courage to assist Yuzu and her school friends in getting up. Karin then led her friends in running away from the Academy as fast as they could.

The entire scene was observed by Tessai and his lieutenant Hachigen with great interest.

"A rather fascinating scene," said the giant man wearing the tortoise shell. Tessai and Hachigen turned to face him. Both of the latter men recognised the former as their old master, the Royal Guard, the founder and former captain of the Kido Corps, Shugendo Genbu.

"It has been a long time, master," said Tessai.

"I am honoured that you still respect me, Tessai-kun," said Genbu. "But, I am curious to know why you bothered to save that child." Tessai knew Genbu was referring to Ichigo's sister and Isshin's daughter, Kurosaki Karin.

"The primary duty of Gotei 13, the Onmitsukidou, and the Kido Corps has always been to protect the people of Seireitei and Soul Society above all others," said Tessai.

"Even the daughter of a traitor like Shiba Isshin?" Tessai blanched at hearing those words coming from his master.

"I don't know what you are talking about master. Isshin-san never betrayed Soul Society or the Reioh. And even if in your mind he did, the sins of the father should not be imposed upon their innocent children."

"Hmph, what a preposterous statement. You have become just like Hideyoshi, Yamamoto, and the rest of those fools, all stuck up on noble sentiments such as protecting Soul Society."

"You were the one who taught me such sentiments master. I remembered you as a great man who made a lasting contribution to Soul Society by founding the Kido Corps."

"And to this day I forever regret that decision. I have watched the noble art of Kido being bastardized into a rotten system that even commoners from the Rukongai can easily understand."

"What is wrong with having other people learn about Kido master?" asked Hachigen. The Kido Corps lieutenant was surprised when he saw his master clench his hands into a fist.

"Do you fools understand what Kido is? It's not merely a system of spells that can be taught at an Academy! It is an Art! A practitioner of Kido must immerse himself in desire to create new and more destructive techniques!" Genbu clutched both his hands in to a fist, his voice expressing feelings of ecstasy and intoxication. "No one except me understood this! Instead of creating new techniques they just focused on practicing the ones I invented! Those fools at the Central 46 even had the nerve of decreeing that all spells outside of the prescribed 99 Bakudo and Hado spells were to be banned!"

As Tessai and Hachigen listened to Genbu's rant, they were saddened at how low their master had fallen.

"Tsukuyomi-dono is the only one who understands my desires. He will create a world where I can explore the infinite possibilities of Kido to my heart's content!" declared Genbu triumphantly.

"I cannot believe how low you've fallen master," Tessai shook his head sadly. "To be hearing such words coming from your mouth after hearing you telling me and Hachi to always use Kido spells responsibly is heartbreaking."

"If Tsukuyomi completes his goals, then you will die too master," Hachi out.

"Do you think I care? I will be glad to sacrifice my life to allow Prince Tsukuyomi to create the desired world, for I know I will be reborn to serve alongside of him!" Both Tessai and Hachigen had had enough of their master's insane rants. They both knew that it was impossible to reason with Genbu anymore.

"I am sorry master. We have no choice but to stop you from helping Tsukuyomi achieve his goals," said Tessai. He and Hachigen started charging spirit energy in their fists. Genbu regained his composure and stared at his erstwhile pupils with killer intent.

"You intend to challenge me to a war of Kido? How preposterous." The Royal Guard began charging spirit energy in both his hands.

Tessai and Hachigen finished charging the spirit energy in their hands and proceeded to fire unchanted _Shakkaho_ spells at Genbu. The Royal Guard responded by firing two unchanted _Soukatsui_ spells from _both _hands. As the two pairs of destructive energy blasts hit each other, the _Soukatsuis_ naturally overpowered the _Shakkahos_. Tessai and Hachigen had to flash step out of the way to avoid being hit by the blue energy blasts, as they slammed into the main Academy building and blew two huge ten foot wide holes right through it.

"If a Hado 31 won't work the how about a Hado 63?" shouted Hachigen. He charged a large amount of spirit energy into his right hand and fired a massive _Raikoho_ blast at Genbu. The Royal Guard took one look at the huge yellow energy blast coming at him and smirked.

"Pathetic." In an instant before the _Raikoho_ hit him Genbu clasped both hands together and fired an immense _Soren Soukatsui_ in response. The enormous blue energy blast instantly overpowered and overwhelmed the _Raikoho_. Hachigen had no time to react before he was engulfed by the _Soren Soukatsui_ as the blue energy blast slammed into the Academy Building and obliterated it.

"Hachi!" screamed Tessai as he watched his lieutenant disappear into a towering column of fire and smoke rising from the ruins of the building. With murderous intent in his heart, Tessai faced his master again and channeled huge amount of spirit energy into his right hand again.

"Take this master! Hado 88, _Hiryugekizokushintenraiho_!" An amazingly powerful blast of blue and white spiritual energy crackling with electricity was fired out of Tessai's right hand. The blast flew towards Genbu at supersonic speeds, creating shockwaves along the ground as it travelled. The giant Royal Guard stared nonchalantly at the huge energy blast coming towards him. A second before Tessai's Hado hit, Genbu casted an unchanted Bakudo 81 _Danku_ in front of his body.

The _Hiryugekizokushintenraiho_ slammed into an invisible barrier and detonated, causing an immense explosion that shot up over a hundred metres into the air and bathed the entire Academy courtyard in a sea of flames. The flames were so intense that Tessai had to surround himself in a barrier to avoid being burnt by them. As the flames and smoke subsided, Tessai realized his blast had done absolutely no damage to Genbu, as it had hit a _Danku_ barrier at the last second.

"Damn it!" swore Tessai, cursing himself for having wasted a large portion of his reiatsu.

"You should know by now that Hados below 90 are useless against me," said Genbu. "Didn't I teach you that lesson when I was your master?" Tessai didn't want to admit that Genbu was right.

"I'll show you how it's done!" Genbu started channeling an immense amount of black spiritual energy in his right index and middle fingers. By the time Tessai registered what his master was up to it was too for him to response. _Oh crap_, Tessai swore silently.

"Hado 90, _Kuro Hitsugi_!" shouted Genbu. In an instant ominous black walls made out of dense spiritual energy started forming around Tessai. Within seconds the Kido Corps captain was completely surrounded by a towering black box over thirty metres high. Moments later a hundred black spheres pierced the box in all directions.

The Kido Corps lieutenant Ushoda Hachigen, who had managed to survive the _Soren Soukatsui_ spell, climbed out of the rubble of the Academy building just in time to witness the sight of his captain being hit with the black coffin spell.

"Taicho!" screamed Hachigen. When the black coffin dissipated a few seconds later, Tessai was covered with lacerations from head to toe, with blood flowing freely from numerous wounds. Despite having a large wound in his stomach himself, Hachigen quickly tended to his captain.

"Are you alight Tessai Taicho?" asked Hachigen.

"I'm fine Hachi," said Tessai, panting heavily.

"You should know that I deliberately held back on that spell to avoid killing you instantly, Tessai-kun," Genbu gloated. "If I had wanted to I could have cast the full incantation and crushed you into pieces. But I wanted to show you what true power is before I wipe you from the face of the earth." The Royal Guard advanced towards his two protégés, looking down upon them in a patronizing manner.

"We're not done yet!" yelled Tessai. Out of sheer desperation he clasped his hands together with his fingers intertwined and shouted out "Bakudo 99, Part 1, _Kin_!"

In instant four thick black spiritual threads surrounded Genbu's body, binding his arms together and wrapping around his back. The four spiritual threads were then pinned to the ground in an 'X' shaped pattern by numerous iron shafts.

"I am impressed Tessai-kun. To have mastered a Bakudo of this level," complimented Genbu. "But, do you think you could suppress me with a spell of that level alone?"

"A spell of that level? Since when were you under an impression I was going to pin you down with that spell alone?" retorted Tessai. Genbu's eyes widened in surprise when Tessai slammed both his fists into the ground.

"Bakudo 99, Part 2, _Bankin_!" shouted Tessai.

"Impossible, you have mastered the second part already?" exclaimed Genbu.

"First Song-_Shiryu_!" An immense wave of white spiritual fabric shot out of the ground and engulfed Genbu's body, completely covering him head to toe like a mummy.

"Second Song-_Hyakurensan_!" A shower of metal bolts flew from the sky and pierced the bandaged Genbu's body in numerous places.

"Third song-_Bankin Taiho_!" With a triumphant shout Tessai caused a huge metal cube to appear from the sky. The cube smashed down upon the already restrained Genbu, pinning the Royal Guard completely underneath a billion tons of super dense metal. With the full spell completely, Tessai took some time to recover his breath.

"Hachi, I need you to help me!"

"Uh, haven't you got him already Taicho?" asked Hachigen.

"Knowing master, I have no doubt he has ways of breaking out of even _Bankin_. We have to take advantage of this opportunity. Use your special barrier trap him in an enclosed space while I prepare Hado 96." Hachigen was aghast at the prospect of his captain using a spell of such power inside Seireitei, but then he understood why Tessai wanted him to cast his barrier. The Kido Corps Lieutenant suddenly put on his hollow mask and channeled almost all of his spirit energy into his hands. He summoned dozens of huge white planks and arranged them into a twenty metre high wall. When that was complete Hachigen then channeled his spirit energy into the wall and began an incantation.

"The head, unable to retreat, falls into the depths of the sea, and atones for its sins in bolts of blue, white, black and red," chanted Hachigen. "_Ryubi no Jomon_!" Hundreds of white planks were added to the wall until it resembled a huge gate, topped with a blue tiled roof, with a long blue plank running across the middle. Having finished one section, Hachigen then proceeded to make numerous complicated hand seals, causing three other barriers to appear on the other three sides surrounding Genbu.

"_Kokou no Jomon_!" shouted Hachigen. A giant oval shaped black wheel with spokes lining the inside appeared on the right side.

"_Kikai no Jomon_!" A hexagonal shaped prism made up countless smaller prisms appeared on the left side.

"_Hoyoku no Jomon_!" A twenty metre long white column appeared about a hundred metres above the ground, from which appeared a set of enormous wings made out of red planks which formed a circular roof over fifty metres across.

"_Shiju no Saimon_!" Hachigen's final incantation caused all of the barriers to be surrounded and connected by a gargantuan transparent green box. When the enormous construct was finally complete, Hachigen collapsed onto his knees exhausted.

"It is done Taicho!" shouted Hachigen.

"You have done well Hachigen. The preparations are complete," said Tessai. He placed his left hand on one of the _Kin_ spirit threads and then proceeded to stab a ceremonial dagger right through the centre of his palm. Despite an excruciating amount of pain, Tessai channeled his spirit energy into the dagger and began an incantation.

"Oh great Lord of Destruction, receive this offering of flesh and smite the unholy foes with your righteous blade of flame. Greed and Envy, Lust and Wrath, Sloth and Gluttony, Pride in the arrogance of those who have sinned! All shall be burned to ashes and blown away into nothingness! Hado 96, _Itto Kaso_!" As Tessai's left hand cracked, his dagger transmitted a spark of fire that travelled along the spirit thread and through Hachigen's _Kokou no Jomon_.

A second later the entire inside of the barrier was bathed in a red hot incandescent fire. The flames were so intense that they caused the whole of Hachigen's construct to be blown to pieces. Then a towering pillar of fire shaped like a giant katana's tip rose high into the sky. The fire pillar continued to burn for over a minute, before finally subsiding. By the time it dissipated, the ground that had been enclosed by Hachigen's barrier was burnt to cinders, leaving nothing behind.

"It is over. There is nothing left of master anymore," said Tessai. Hachigen nodded.

"I doubt anyone could have survived such a concentrated pillar of fire." Suddenly, the air around them was filled with an insane laughter.

"It can't be!" exclaimed Tessai in horror. Both he and Hachigen gasped in shock and terror as their master, the Royal Guard Shugendo Genbu, materialized in front of them, completely unharmed.

"I applaud your wonderful strategic thinking Tessai-kun, Hachi-kun," said Genbu. "Had your opponent not been me your combined Kido techniques would have surely succeeded."

"Impossible, how could you have survived my _Itto Kaso _unharmed?" asked Tessai in dismay. Genbu started laughing madly at Tessai's question.

"How? Think why won't you? As the supreme master of Kido, no spell is beyond my reach. I am not bound to follow the ridiculous limitations set by the Central 46!" Tessai thought for a moment, trying to think of how his master could have escaped the trap he and Hachigen had set. When he finally realized how Genbu did it, he gasped in horror.

"No way…don't tell me you used _Jikanteishi_ and _Kukanten'i _together?"

"You finally figured it out. Who do you think taught you those spells?" With a sudden surge of reiatsu Genbu blew both Tessai and Hachigen backwards. "Let me tell you something. Out of all of the Royal Guards, I am the only one who was not a Captain of the Gotei 13. How do you think someone like e was chosen to be one of the Reioh's guardians? It is because I have mastered the essence of Kido!"

Genbu extended both of his arms and shot out yellow tendrils of light that wrapped around Tessai and Hachi's waists.

"To master the essence of Kido is to become one with it! I have achieved an understanding of the nature of Kido that no one else has ever reached! Kido spells literally dance from my fingertips!" laughed Genbu. With a mere gesture of his arms he yanked Tessai and Hachigen towards him, and then lifted the two of them above the ground. Tessai and Hachigen groaned in pain when Genbu smashed them into each other.

"How does it feel to taste the true nature of Kido? It is but fraction of the power I have at my command!" Genbu slammed Tessai and Hachigen into the ruins of the Academy building. Both fighters were briefly knocked unconscious, and it took all of their willpower to get up again.

When they did so, Tessai and Hachigen's eyes widened in horror when they saw black flames rising from Genbu's hands. A light breeze blew individual black embers away from the main flames, causing them to land on the ground beside the Royal Guard. As soon as the embers touched the ground, they caused large chunks of stone and rubble to vanish in an instant. Hachigen gasped in shock, as memories of his battle with the Espada Baraggan Luisenbarn surfaced in his mind.

"Isn't that…_Respira_?" asked Hachigen. Tessai shook his head.

"I know you're thinking these flames are similar to that particular Espada's ability, but they are something much worse." Tessai was shaking with fear from head to toe. "The most evil Hado in the history of Soul Society, _Ennetsu no Shini_."

"Oh, so you recognise this spell Tessai-kun? I am impressed by your knowledge," said Genbu in a condescending manner. "But your lack of judgment astounds me. There is nothing evil about _Ennetsu no Shini_. It was only banned because Yamamoto and those fools in the Central 46 lacked the foresight to find a proper use for it!"

"You're wrong master. That spell was banned because it was too dangerous. I've seen firsthand what those blacks flames can do; _Ennetsu_ _no Shini_ is not a spell that can be used properly."

"PROPOSTEROUS!" Genbu suddenly lost his temper. The giant of a Royal Guard intensified his reiatsu and caused the entire courtyard to be bathed in the black flames. Tessai and Hachi watched on nervously as everything the flames touched dissolved in an instant. Soon there was nothing left of the Academy courtyard except a gaping crater over fifty metres across.

"Who said that _Ennetsu no Shini_ cannot be used properly? Only those who don't know its true power say such words. It is clear that you are as ignorant as the others Tessai-kun. None of you understand the real nature of Kido. I regret ever taking you and Hachi on as my students. I shall rectify that mistake…by wiping both of you from existence!"

Genbu pointed his right hand at Tessai and Hachigen and channeled an immense amount of spiritual energy. A second later an enormous concentrated beam of black flames was shot out of his hand, fired directly at his former protégés. As Tessai saw the flames of doom heading towards him, his mind flashed back to some of the things his Genbu had taught him.

_"…Remember this well Tessai-kun, there is no such thing as bad Kido, only bad Kido users. A Kido spell is only as strong as its caster...A skilled practitioner of Kido always knows their own limits…for with great power comes great responsibility…"_

Just as the black flames were about to hit him, Tessai suddenly thrust both his arms forward and caused everything in a ten foot radius around him and Hachi to freeze in an instant.

"What is this Taicho?" asked Hachi.

"I used _Jikanteishi_ to create a time distortion field around ourselves. Everything inside this field except for us has been frozen in time," said Tessai. "Now then, I need you to do me a favour Hachi." To Hachi's astonishment Tessai touched the frozen black flames with his cracked left hand. "Use your _Hachigiyo Sogai_ to transport my hand left hand into Master Genbu's body."

Hachigen was initially stunned at his captain's orders but then he realized it was the exact same tactic he himself had used to defeat the Espada Baraggan and his _Respira_.

"This is the only way to counteract Genbu-sama huh? Very well." Hachigen took a deep breath before casting his special Kido barriers around Tessai's left hand, which was already half covered by the black flames. In an instant the cracked left hand was severed from Tessai's arm and transported inside of Genbu. Tessai ended the _Jikanteishi_ spell a second later, and both of them saw that the black flames had vanished.

The Royal Guard was confused as to why the black flames suddenly disappeared. A second later Genbu felt a burning pain in his stomach. The pain quickly intensified to the point where Genbu felt the entire inside of his body was burning up. When black flames started appearing on his arms and legs Genbu realized in horror what had happened.

"No…this can't be! Is this your doing, Tessai?" screamed Genbu.

"You've forgotten the words of wisdom you taught me, master," said Tessai. "With great power comes great responsibility, and every practitioner of Kido knows their own limits. Had you followed your own teachings, you would never have ended up like this. Goodbye, master."

"TESSAI!" screamed Genbu as his entire body was consumed by the black flames. Within seconds the Royal Guard was erased from existence.

* * *

Comments:

This chapter covers the first of four Shitenno battles. Each of these battles will feature some truly epic events and special moments. This battle is unique because it features the three greatest Kido users of all time fighting each other, and because it is arguably the only fight in this story which involves only Kido. As a treat for long time readers of the Bleach Manga is that Tessai, Hachi and Genbu pull out pretty much all of the best Kido moves seen in the series so far, with Hados ranging from Shakkaho all the way to the a full power Itto Kaso, Tessai casting both versions of Bakudo 99, Hachigen using the same Kido barrier he made in the fight with Barragan, Tessai and Genbu using both Jikanteishi and Kukanten'i in battle, and finally Hachigen doing the 'teleport hand in the opponent's body' trick:)

*Itto Kaso's Chant: Considering that it is the by far the most powerful Hado seen in the manga, I wanted to make the incantantion for Itto Kaso suitably epic. I drew on references from hell and the seven deadly sins to make the chant.

*Ennetsu no Shini (炎熱の死): Means "Flames of Death" in Japanese. This is the third forbidden Kido after Jikanteishi and Kukanten'i. As Hachigen remarks in the chapter itself, this Kido is very similar in nature to Barragan's Respira, but it also combines elements of Amaterasu from Naruto, and a magic attack called "Balefire" from the Wheel of Time Series.


	62. Chapter 62: Frozen World

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

*Woohoo, 300,000 words and counting! This story has come a long way since I started it more than a year ago. To **Ghost 2113, Azraelean, HokkaidoMaster**, and all the other long time readers who've followed this story so far and sent in reviews, I really thank you all for your support.

* * *

Chapter 62: Frozen World 

Tessai and Hachigen watched solemnly as their former master Genbu faded away into nothingness. A few moments later the black flames that had been burning around the ruins of the Academy also vanished. The two heavily wounded men took time to contemplate the death of their former master.

"Farewell Master Genbu," said Tessai. A few seconds later Tessai suddenly lost consciousness and fell to the ground.

"Taicho! Taicho!" yelled Hachigen as he went to his captain's side. He was relieved to find that Tessai was merely exhausted from overexerting himself. The Kido Corps lieutenant hauled his captain over his shoulders and headed for the Fourth Division's medical relief centre.

As a result of Tsukabishi Tessai's incapacitation the central pillar of the _Shin'yuu Kanmon_ triple layered barrier around the Senzaikyu disappeared, exposing the tower to enemy attacks from the air. The danger to the Senzaikyu was the least of the worries for the Gotei 13 however. With all of Seireitei's walls down due to the after effects of Hideyoshi Kenryusai's sacrificial explosion, the Shinigami forces defending the Eastern and Southern Gate entrances were forced to retreat as a hordes of Menos and lesser hollows flooded in the city.

The fighting was particularly fierce at the Southern Red Hollow Gate, with the second Gotei Army Corps led by Captain Hitsugaya gradually being overrun by hundreds of Gillians and thousands of lesser hollows. Despite the best efforts of the senior officers, casualties among the rank and file Shinigami and Onmitsukidou militia were mounting from countless _cero_ blasts being fired at the Corps' defensive positions, even though thousands of hollows were being slaughtered every second.

"Snap _Tobiume_!" shouted the 10th Division third seat Hinamori Momo. Her sealed Zanpakuto changed shape, with three jutte-like prongs extending from the central blade. The petite Shinigami channeled her spirit energy into her Shikai and then proceeded to fire a large fireball at three nearby Gillians.

"_Bakuretsu Tanemono_!" With a second command Hinamori caused the initial fireball she shot to split into three separate fireballs which hit the Gillians' faces and exploded, causing the Menos' heads to be blown off.

"I killed three of them Rangiku-san!" exclaimed Hinamori.

"Nice one Hinamori-chan! I'll clear out the rest around us," said Matsumoto. The busty 10th Division lieutenant spoke the command "Growl, _Haineko_", causing her Zanpakuto's blade to dissolve into a cloud of ash. Matsumoto arranged the ash into a huge dust tornado and sent it towards a pack of ten Gillians in front of her.

"_Tatsumaki Tsume_!" Matsumoto called out as she slashed the air numerous times with her Zanpakuto's hilt. Her movements remotely programmed the ash blades forming the dust tornado to attack in the patterns she desired. As the tornado slammed into the first Gillian the millions of tiny ash particles ripped the hapless Menos into shreds. The dust tornado steamrolled through the other Gillians until all of them were destroyed. With all of the Gillians in their area down, Matsumoto and Hinamori went to assist their division's men to clean up the lesser hollows.

* * *

Further towards the front lines, Hitsugaya, Hisagi and Kira were desperately trying to fend off over five hundred Gillians. All three of them had already released their Bankais.

"Fly _Daikado Kazeshini_!" shouted Hisagi. He threw his Bankai, a ten foot wide rapidly spinning razor disk, at a pack of nearly thirty Gillians advancing towards him and Kira. The razor disk scythed through five of the giant hollows in a row before returning to Hisagi's hands. A second later Hisagi had to dodge over five _ceros_ fired by the other Gillians.

"Damn there's too many of them!" swore Hisagi.

"Hisagi-san, I'm going to immobilize all of the Gillians in that pack with Bankai. That will give you the chance to finish them off"!" shouted Kira.

Hisagi watched as Kira charged into the pack of Gillians, with his Bankai's large stone slab strapped to his back and a large metal ball on his left shoulder. Once he got into the middle of the pack Kira used his Bankai _Tenbutsu no Wabisuke_'s ability to create a sphere of influence that covered all of the Gillians. In an instant the giant hollows were pinned down as Kira increased the gravity inside the sphere to over ten times the normal level. With the Gillians unable to move they were easy fodder for Hisagi. The 9th Division lieutenant threw his Bankai at the Gillians again, this time directing the giant spinning disk to scythe through the heads of all of the hollows. Within seconds the pack of Gillians dissolved into nothingness.

"Alright we got them all!" exclaimed Hisagi happily. Just as he and Kira were about to celebrate, Captain Hitsugaya dropped in.

"Hisagi, Kira, I just got an urgent distress call from Isane of the 4th division! I want you to take Matsumoto, Hinamori and the rest of our troops back to fend off the hollows currently attacking the Coordinated Relief Station!" ordered Hitsugaya.

"What about the Gillians here Hitsugaya Taicho?" asked Hisagi.

"I'll deal with them all by myself." A sudden flaring of his reiatsu told Hisagi and Kira that Hitsugaya was going to all out. Not wanting to be caught up in the collateral damage the two lieutenants wisely retreated, leaving Hitsugaya to take on the remaining five hundred or so Gillians by himself.

"It is a good thing the rest of my men aren't here. Now I can finally use my most powerful move to take all of you out," said Hitsugaya. The sky above darkened as Hitsugaya channeled his Bankai's _Tenso Jurin_ ability to gather together a large concentration of storm clouds. "_Hyoten Hyakkaso_. " As soon as Hitsugaya spoke the command a large hole opened in the storm clouds, causing an immense amount of snow and ice to fall upon the masses of Gillians.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the 4th Division's Coordinated Relief Station, Kotetsu Kiyone was desperately fending off swarms of flying hollows from attacking the scores of injured Shinigami and civilians that were being carried through the division's relief bay.

"Damn annoying hollows!" swore Isane. The 4th division Lieutenant fired three streams of ice from her Shikai _Itegumo_, snap freezing a swarm of about ten hollows that tried to pounce on her. Having already used her Shikai's ability three times, Isane was already exhausted. Just as she was about to be pounced upon by another pack of hollows, a large group of Shinigami led by Hisagi, Kira, Matsumoto and Hinamori suddenly appeared and swiftly dispatched all of the hollows.

"Are you alright Isane?" asked Matsumoto.

"Yes, thank you for showing up," said Isane. "Our division's got its hands full at the moment." All of a sudden, everyone in the vicinity felt an immense spiritual pressure come down upon them.

"What, what's this reiatsu?" asked Kira.

"It feels so cold," complained Hinamori. All of the Shinigami started shivering as cold frosty air descended around the relief station.

"Look over there!" exclaimed Hisagi. He was the first to see a strange figure heading towards the relief station. As the figure got nearer, his facial features could be made out. He was an elderly looking man with spiky blue hair, a clean shaven goatee, and blue eyes. He wore an ornate white Shihakusho covered by an elaborate blue haori with golden shoulder guards and a long white robe. Most of the rank and file Shinigami did not recognise him but the lieutenant officers did, all of them started quivering in fear.

"Isn't that…one of the Royal Guards?" asked Kira.

"What is he doing here?" asked Hisagi. Unsure of what to make of this man, Hisagi and Kira brandished their sealed Zanpakutos while ordering the rest of their men to slowly retreat into the relief station. The man noticed what they were doing and grinned slightly.

"How amusing." The man unsheathed his Zanpakuto, and before Hisagi, Kira or anyone else could react, emitted a shockwave of ice that instantly froze all of the Shinigami who were standing in front of the relief station's gates.

"Ah…what a marvelous sight," said the Royal Guard Hitsugaya Seiryuu, the second member of Azrael's Shitenno.

* * *

At this moment, the Captain of the 10th Division Hitsugaya Toshiro had finished disposing of all of the Gillians at the Southern Red Hollow Gate. Just as he de-activated his Bankai, Hitsugaya suddenly sensed the spiritual pressures of his division members disappear.

_Oh no!_ Thought Hitsugaya. With a sense of urgency in his heart he flash stepped to the 4th Division's relief station as fast as he could. When he got there he found the entire area around the relief station's entrance frozen by a field of ice. Furthermore, there were hundreds of figures standing frozen solid in the middle of the ice field. Several figures in particular caught Hitsugaya's eyes: his lieutenant Matsumoto, his third seat Hinamori, and Hisagi and Kira. All of four of them were frozen solid.

"Matsumoto! Hinamori!" shouted Hitsugaya in despair. "Who…who could have done this?"

"It was me, Toshiro-kun," said a voice nearby. Hitsugaya looked around. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw his grandfather, Hitsugaya Seiryuu, walk towards him.

"Ojii-san…were you the one who did this?" Seiryuu nodded.

"They were in my way. I have a mission from Prince Tsukuyomi to perform. I don't have time to deal with so many insignificant targets." Seiryuu's words rattled Hitsugaya.

"Targets? You call the people you froze targets? They were my men Ojii-san!"

"Do you think I care about who they were? Your men only have themselves to blame for getting in my way."

"That does it…" Hitsugaya's spiritual pressure rose rapidly as the short white haired captain lost his temper. "I can never forgive you Ojii-san! I was already angry about you leaving Obaa-san out in the Rukongai all by herself, and still haven't forgotten the torture you subjected me to. But this time…you have gone too far! No one harms my nakama and gets away with it! Bankai!" With a massive blast of reiatsu, Hitsugaya released his Bankai again. He stared at Seiryuu with blood shot eyes.

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU OJII-SAN!" shouted Hitsugaya angrily.

"You shouldn't speak such strong words towards your grandfather Toshiro-kun," lectured Seiryuu. "It makes you sound like a rebellious child." Hearing his grandfather's words, which sounded very similar to words Aizen had once taunted him with, drove Hitsugaya over the edge. In a berserk frenzy he charged at Seiryuu, holding his Bankai's main blade with both hands. He used _Daiguren Hyorinmaru's_ _Hyoryu Senbi_ ability to create a massive crescent of ice with a single horizontal swing of his sword.

Seiryuu dodged the attack by jumping into the air. Hitsugaya immediately followed up by shooting a giant ice dragon towards his grandfather.

"Pathetic. You call that an ice dragon?" Seiyruu had nothing but contempt for Hitsugaya's display of power. The Royal Guard unsheathed his Zanpakuto and pointed it downwards. "Let me show you what a _true_ ice dragon looks like. Reign over the frosted heavens, _Hyoryumaru_!" In an instant Seiryuu's Zanpakuto shot out an immense azure coloured dragon of ice that dwarfed Hitsugaya's dragon many times over. The azure ice dragon engulfed the smaller blue ice dragon, and only an instinctive last second dodge saved Hitsugaya from being instantly frozen. Even so, the young captain was blown onto his back by the shockwave created by the ice dragon's impact. _What power, even my Daiguren Hyorinmaru pales in comparison to it…and this is only his Shikai?_

"It is over Toshiro-kun," grinned Seiryuu. He pointed his sword at Hitsugaya. "_Touketsu_ _Yari_." After glowing with energy for a brief moment, the tip of his sword fired a rain of over a thousand green ice spears at Hitsugaya. The young captain stared at his death in sheer terror.

Just as Hitsugaya thought he was going to die, the ice spears suddenly bounced off an invisible barrier. Both Seiryuu and Hitsugaya gasped in surprised, wondering where the barrier had come from. A second later the two men both noticed the appearance of another figure.

"You should be more careful Hitsugaya Taicho," said the 4th Division Captain Unohana. "You shouldn't do rash actions like charging at an enemy so recklessly."

"Um, thanks…Unohana-san," blushed Hitsugaya. "I'm sorry I got carried away."

"You worried about your subordinates weren't you?" Unohana turned her attention to the figures of Matsumoto, Hinamori, Hisagi, Kira and everyone else who had been frozen by Seiryuu's power. "Do not worry, they are not dead yet."

The elegant female captain unsheathed her Zanpakuto from a scabbard hanging from her shoulder and chanted the words "Restore, _Minazuki_." In seconds her sealed Zanpakuto expanded outwards and transformed into a gigantic green coloured manta ray, with wings spanning over twenty metres, two bird-like legs sticking from its bottom side, a long prehensile tail stretching some ten metres from its rear end, and a single yellow eye placed over large mouth full of rows upon rows of sharp teeth.

"Minazuki, take everyone in the vicinity into you and heal them," ordered Unohana. The giant manta ray proceeded to shot out a stream of thick green acid from its mouth that slowly covered all of the Shinigami who had been frozen. When they were fully encased in the mucous Minazuki then opened its mouth and sucked in all of the Shinigami into its belly.

"Will they be alright in there?" asked Hitsugaya.

"They're slowly be restored to normal in Minazuki's stomach," replied Unohana. Both captains turned their attention to Seiryuu as the Royal Guard started clapping.

"Bravo Retsu. Your display of power has impressed me greatly," said Seiryuu. "However, what you are trying to do is pointless. Those people are already dead." Seiryuu's words caused Unohana to suddenly flare her reiatsu in anger.

"Do jump to such arrogant assumptions Seiryuu. Until their spiritual bodies disappear there is no one I cannot save." Seiryuu laughed at Unohana's words.

"Do you intend to oppose me Retsu? Didn't we have such a great time together? You had no qualms in giving your body to me."

"What? Is that true Unohana-san? Did you really allow him to…?" Hitsugaya was aghast at the prospect of Unohana being raped by his grandfather, but her silent nod told him it was true. Unohana still vividly remembered the event in her mind.

_"That is enough Seiryuu_,_" said Unohana. She had been hearing screams of pain and agony coming from Hitsugaya as she waited outside the room. _

_ "How dare you interrupt my interrogation Retsu!" ranted Seiryuu._

_ "Don't torture him anymore Seiryuu. His body and mind have already been broken. What could you possibly get out of him now? You be ashamed that you're treating your grandson in this way."_

_ "Bah, he's no grandson of mine! I can do whatever I like with him!" _

_ "I see." Unohana sighed deeply in regret at what she was about to do. In a move that surprised Seiryuu she took off her haori and used a magic incantation to undo the braid of hair in front of her body, allowing her long hair to flow freely. Finally she started taking off her Shihakusho piece by piece. When she was done she stood in front of Seiryuu baring all of her body, much to the Royal Guard's surprise._

_ "I'll make you a deal Seiryuu. In return for you sparing Hitsugaya Taicho and everyone else in the Gotei 13 from harm I'll allow you to use my body in any way you want." _

_ Seiryuu's eyes suddenly lit up, and the blue haired man started licking his lips. _

_ "I should obey Commander Hideyoshi's orders not matter what…but this is an offer too tempting to refuse!" Unohana closed her eyes in sorrow and regret as Seiryuu pounced upon her. She prayed that he would keep his promise…_

"I only gave my body to you on the promise that you would spare everyone else in the Gotei from suffering," said Unohana.

"Heh, heh, ha, ha, ha, ha!" laughed Seiryuu hysterically. "When did I ever make that promise to you? It was by sheer chance that I forgot about Toshiro-kun because I was having too much fun with you. You honestly believed I would uphold such a ridiculous promise? Ha, ha, ha, women are so naïve!" Seiryuu continued to laugh until a sudden sword swing cut him across the cheek.

"How dare you betray my trust like that!" shouted Unohana angrily. Hitsugaya watched in awe as he saw Unohana's entire body glow with green reiatsu. _Wow, I've never seen Unohana-san so angry before_.

"Minazuki, restrain him!" With a single order Unohana commanded her giant manta ray to thrust a long prehensile tongue into the ground. The tongue reappeared directly underneath Seiryuu a moment later and before the Royal Guard could react the tongue quickly wrapped around his arms and legs.

"What is this?" asked Seiryuu angrily. He struggled to break loose.

"He is all yours Hitsugaya Taicho. Hit him with your strongest attack," said Unohana.

"But, if I used _Hyoten Hyakkaso_ I might harm you as well," protested Hitsugaya.

"Do not worry about my safety." Unohana's calm blues reassured Hitsugaya that nothing was going to happen to her. The 10th Division captain mustered his resolve to defeat his grandfather, channeling his reiatsu into his Bankai's sword. The skies above quickly darkened as a large clump of black thunder clouds formed overhead.

"This is the end Ojii-san. I will bury you with my ultimate move. _Hyoten Hyakkaso_." Seiryuu opened his eyes in fear and terror as a large hole opened in the clouds, causing an enormous amount of snow and ice to descend from the skies above. When the first snowflakes touched Seiryuu's skin, they caused ice flowers to instantly sprout upon the Royal Guard's body. Within seconds a towering column made out of a hundred snow flowers rose from the ground, completely trapping Seiryuu in a solid pillar of ice.

"It is over," said Hitsugaya. The white haired captain was about to de-summon his Bankai when all of a sudden the ice column started to crack.

"No way…he's still alive?" exclaimed Hitsugaya in shock. Both he and Unohana looked on nervously as more cracks appeared in the ice column. When a voice shouted out "Bankai", the entire ice column was blown apart, causing thousands of pieces of ice to fly outwards in all directions. Hitsugaya and Unohana both had to shield themselves to avoid being cut. When the shower of ice stopped, the two captains looked at where the ice column once stood and gasped in astonishment.

Standing in front of them was a transformed Seiryuu. All of his clothing had apparently been shed away. His entire body was now covered in a thick layer of solid ice that extended from his feet all the way up to his shoulders, with his head covered by a dragon-shaped helmet with a crown on top. Two huge wings of ice nearly five metres across stretched from his back, and his hands were now shaped like talons. An enormous amount of pulsating blue spiritual pressure radiated from his body, causing the air and ground around him to chill rapidly.

"What, what is that?" asked Hitsugaya. He saw Unohana was sweating nervously.

"That's…_Daiguren Hyoryumaru_, the most powerful Water-Ice Zanpakuto in all of Soul Society's history," said Unohana.

"I thought my _Hyorinmaru_ was the most powerful Water-Ice Zanpakuto."

"We only gave your Zanpakuto that level after Seiryuu left for the King's Realm. When he was still a captain, it was said that his power rivaled that of Yamamoto Sotaicho."

"How nice of you to compliment me Retsu. But it appears that Toshiro-kun that you cannot comprehend the full extent of my power. How about I demonstrate it to you? " Seiryuu summoned a sword of ice in his hands and held it above his head.

"_Touketsu Tsurugi_." Before Hitsugaya could even respond Seiryuu swung his ice sword down in a move that instantly bisected his grandson from head to toe.

"Hitsugaya Taicho!" cried Unohana in dismay as she saw in horror the two halves of Hitsugaya's body topple over.

"I'm okay," said Hitsugaya's voice. To Unohana and Seiryuu's surprise the young captain emerge from the ground. The 'Hitsugaya' that had been cut instantly turned into an ice clone and shattered into pieces.

" That was close. If I hadn't prepped my _Zanhyo Ningyo_ at the last moment I would have been dead," said Hitsugaya as he panted heavily.

"So you can create ice clones too Toshiro-kun. It seems that you are capable of rational thinking in battle," said Seiryuu. "It would still be too easy to kill you right now. Perhaps I should inflict more emotional torture upon you." With a sinister grin on his face Seiryuu pointed a finger at Minazuki and instantly shot out a concentrated beam of ice that slammed into the manta ray. Within seconds the manta ray was frozen solid. It then shattered into pieces, much to Unohana and Hitsugaya's horror. Both of them knew now that Matsumoto, Hinamori and everyone else who had been frozen by Seiryuu were truly dead.

"Ha, ha, ha, didn't I tell you it was pointless to try to save them?" laughed Seiryuu. Though his act had demoralized both Unohana and Hitsugaya, it was Unohana that proved to be more emotionally affected. Whereas Hitsugaya simply collapsed onto his knees in despair, a sudden surge of rage and anger built up in Unohana's heart.

"Seiryuu…you have gone far ENOUGH!" shouted Unohana in anger. She summoned the remnants of Minazuki back into its scabbard before unsheathing the sealed form of her Zanpakuto and slamming it into the ground. "You are the first person in two hundred years that I have an urge to kill. Bankai!" As her body surged with a massive increase in reiatsu, Unohana's body underwent a transformation. First the braid of hair hanging down the front of her body undid itself, allowing her hair to flow freely. Then her normally black hair turned dark green in colour while the colour of her skin turned a pale green. The clothes she was wearing started dematerializing from the feet up as her body was slowly covered by a layer of tree branches and leaves that rose from the ground. Soon Unohana's normal Shihakusho and haori was replaced by a stunning dress made out of leaves with a low cut top that revealed more than half of her ample bosom and an open bottom that exposed a green bikini. A pair of leaf slippers covered her feet while a wreath of flowers formed over her forehead.

"It has been a long time since I've seen you like this Retsu. Your beauty in this state is truly unsurpassed," said Seiryuu in flirtatious manner.

"Stop joking around Seiryuu. This form isn't for showing off." Unohana glared at Seiryuu with murderous intent. "_Tsukurite Jinsei Minazuki_ is only used when I intend to kill an enemy." As Hitsugaya watched on in awe Unohana shot out numerous green coloured tentacles covered with spikes from both of her hands. Before Seiryuu could react the tentacles succeeded in wrapping tightly around its body, with the spikes penetrating through his ice armour and embedding themselves into his skin.

"Darn you Retsu! You think these puny tentacles can restrain me?" screamed Seiryuu. The Royal Guard flexed his muscles and tried to break free. As he pried some of the tentacles loose, Unohana shot out more tentacles from her hands in an attempt to further bind Seiryuu.

"Hitsugaya Taicho, attack your grandfather now while he's immobilized! I can't hold him like for long!" shouted Unohana.

"Oh… right." It took Hitsugaya some time to snap out of the stupor he was under. When he finally realized he had the opportunity to defeat his grandfather for good he hesitated a bit before channeling all of his remaining spirit energy into his sword for a final _Ryusenka_. As Seiryuu attempted to break free Hitsugaya flapped his Bankai's wings and flew towards him at super fast speed. The Royal Guard screamed in a rage as his grandson pierced the middle of his chest with his sword, which penetrated right through his body.

"It is over Ojii-san," said Hitsugaya. Seiryuu seemed fazed for a moment but then he started laughing.

"Do you seriously think you've defeated me? Both of you are so naïve!" With a sudden burst of reiatsu that stunned Unohana and Hitsugaya, Seiryuu caused all of the tentacles that wrapped around his body to freeze and shatter instantly. Hitsugaya gasped when he saw his sword was being frozen just from being in contact with Seiryuu's skin. He hastily retracted his sword and jumped clear of his grandfather, as his Bankai dissipated, reverting to a broken version of his sealed sword. The young captain looked on in astonishment as clouds of super cold ice and water started rising from Seiryuu's body. Unohana was also sweating nervously, having narrowly escaped having her whole body frozen when she wisely decided to sever her tentacles before the ice could spread to her hands.

"I have had enough with the two of you!" shouted Seiryuu. "It is time to demonstrate the true power of my _Hyoryumaru_. My Zanpakuto's _Tenso Jurin_ doesn't just control the weather; it controls the temperature of all the water in the atmosphere. With it I can turn even the hardest of ice into steaming gas, or make everything around me so cold that all living and non-living things will freeze to death!"

"He's joking right?" asked Hitsugaya nervously. Unohana shook her head.

"No, he is telling the truth. His Zanpakuto has the ability to lower the temperature in an area around him to absolute zero," explained Unohana. "You must leave now Hitsugaya Taicho. This battle has become far too dangerous for you. If you stay here you will certainly die."

"What about you Unohana-san.?"  
"Don't worry about me," smiled Unohana. Seiryuu clasped his arms around his shoulders and channeled all of his spirit energy around his body.

"None of you are walking away from here alive!" shouted Seiryuu at the top of his voice. "_Touketsu Sekai_!" The Royal Guard thrust his arms, causing an expanding sphere of ice to spread outwards from his body. Hitsugaya wisely followed Unohana's advice and instantly jumped into the air to escape the sphere. He watched with horror as the sphere engulfed Unohana and snap froze her in an instant. Everything else inside the sphere's influence was turned into solid ice.

"Argh!" screamed Hitsugaya when his feet were suddenly caught inside the ice sphere. He made a desperate flash step into the sky to avoid the sphere. Even so, he watched in horror as his legs started freezing from his feet upwards. Out of sheer desperation Hitsugaya used what was left of his sealed Zanpakuto to slice off both of his legs from his knee cap. The intense pain he experienced caused him to lose his concentration. He fell from the sky, landing heavily on his buttocks. At this moment the sphere of ice stopped expanding and maintained its current size and form for a few seconds. Then the sphere dissipated. Hitsugaya was horrified at what he saw. Everything in a two hundred metre area around Seiryuu's body had been completely frozen. The Royal Guard himself strolled over to the frozen form of Unohana.

"How sad it is for you to die like this, Retsu. You were one of my favorites" said Seiryuu. With a poke of his right index finger he caused Unohana's to shatter into a million pieces.

"NO!" screamed Hitsugaya in despair. His scream caused Seiryuu to turn his attention to him. The Royal Guard walked slowly towards his grandson, who in a panic tried to get away despite having both his legs amputated.

"Having seen how both you and your father turned out, I regret ever having married your grandmother and conceiving a wretched line of descendents."

"What do you mean Ojii-san? You never liked Obaa-san?"

"Of course not. She was nothing but a vessel for me to conceive an offspring. I was forced into marrying her for the sake of continuing my family's lineage. Little did I know that my act would cause the noble blood of my line to be diluted by the blood of a commoner. Now at last, I can amend the failures of you and your father, by killing you with my own hands. I can always find another woman to continue the family." Hitsugaya was aghast at his grandfather's words but he was too terrified and exhausted to do anything about it. Just as Seiryuu neared him, a familiar woman's voice spoke from behind.

"Is that how you view all women? As nothing more than playthings? You are disgusting," said the voice of Unohana. Seiryuu turned around in astonishment as the 4th Division captain emerged from the almost frozen solid ground, covered in a thick layer of mucous but otherwise unharmed, and dressed in the same clothing she wore before.

"Impossible! I shattered your body completely! How could you have survived my attack? No life can exist at absolute zero!" exclaimed Seiryuu in a rage. Unohana smiled at Seiryuu's incredulity.

"You are wrong about life not being able to survive at absolute zero Seiryuu. Wherever there is hope, there is life. Even death itself is but a pathway to a new form of life. My Bankai is a manifestation of my Zanpakuto's greatest ability, _Gaia_. It allows me to restore and even create new life," explained Unohana. "Just before I was frozen by your final attack I was able to pack all of my spirit energy, life force and mind into an egg underground, which was able to survive _Toketsu Sekai_. Thus what you killed was merely a shell of myself."

"Bah, you think you have survived death? You have only postponed the inevitable! I can use _Toketsu Sekai_ as many times as I want!" Seiryuu was about to charge up for another attack when all of a sudden he felt a sudden stinging pain in his heart. He clutched his chest in agony as he felt the fluids inside of his body somehow being sucked dry.

"What is happening to me?" screamed Seiryuu.

"I thought it was about time for the egg I planted inside your body to hatch."

"An egg? Since when did you get an opportunity to plant an egg inside my body?"

"When Hitsugaya Taicho stabbed you with his sword. Thanks to his help one of my tentacles' spikes was able to lay an egg inside your heart. It has been feeding upon the fluids inside you all this time." Seiryuu panicked and tried stabbing himself in vain to kill whatever was eating him from the inside. Soon the ice armour that was covering his body melted away and his own bare skin started drying up. Hitsugaya watched the whole scene with a mix of horror and curiosity.

"It is ironic isn't it Seiryuu? That the one element which powers your Zanpakuto's abilities, water, is now the very element whose absence will kill you. It will be a fitting punishment for all the lives that have been taken by your hand."

"No, I don't want to die! I can't die like this! I must perform my duties to Azrael-sama! NOOOOOO!" With a final harrowing scream Seiryuu's body was turned into a dried husk as all of the water inside of him was sucked dry. As he fell, the Royal Guard's body slowly turned to dust and dissipated away. For a while, neither Unohana and Hitsugaya moved an inch. Both contemplated the passing of a once great noble servant of Soul Society.

* * *

Comments

This is the second chapter covering the Shitenno battles of the Civil War. Though some people may may issues with each of the Shitenno being defeated systematically, I can assure you all that the manner of their defeat will be anything but predictable. Furthermore the good guys aren't going to triumph without suffering heavy losses. In this chapter alone, five promiment secondary characters, including fan favourites Hinamori and Kira, all die. In addition, this chapter and the following two chapters will see the senior captains fight all out and reveal their long awaited Bankais.

*Bakuretsu Tanemono(爆裂種物): Means "Exploding Flower Seeds" in Japanese. This is one of the special techniques of Hinamori's Zanpakuto Tobiume_._

*Tatsumaki Tsume(竜巻爪): Means "Tornado Claw" in Japanese. This is a special technique of Matsumoto's Zanpakuto Haineko.

*Daikado Kazeshini and Tenbutsu no Wabisuke: For those who haven't read the Kyoka Suigetsu Arc, these are Hisagi and Kira's Bankais.

*Isane's Itegumo: Since Kubo has never shown Isane fight apart from one panel of her releasing her Zanpakuto, I had to brainstorm a suitable ability for Itegumo. The meaning of the word Itegumo ("to flow"), suggests a water/ice-based Zanpakuto ability, so her Zanpakuto is basically similar to Hitsugaya's and Rukia's.

*Hyoryumaru(氷竜丸): Means "Ice Dragon Ring" in Japanese. This is Seiryuu's Zanpakuto. As its name suggests, it is very similar in appearance and ability to Hitsugaya's Hyorinamaru, with the only difference being that Seiryuu's Zanpakuto is far more powerful.

*Touketsu Yari(凍結槍): Means "Frozen Spear" in Japanese. This is one of the abilities of Seiryuu's Zanpakuto Hyoyrumaru.

*Daiguren Hyoryumaru: This is Seiyuu's Bankai. As its name would suggest, it is very similar to Hitsugaya's Bankai, except Seiyruu's is more advanced, as he is able to manifest his Bankai in its Keshin state.

*Touketsu Tsurugi(凍結剣): Means 'Frozen Sword" in Japanese. Another one of the abilities of Seiyuu's Zanpakuto. It can be used in both its Shikai and Bankai stats.

*Tsukurite Jinsei Minazuki(作り手人世肉雫唼): Means "Creator of Life Flesh Purifier" in Japanese. This is long awaited Bankai form of Unohana's Zanpakuto. I took great lengths to ensure that Unohana's Bankai was unique, and her overall appearance was influenced by many sources, most notably Poison Ivy from Batman and the Titan Gaia from Greek mythology.

*Touketsu Sekai(凍結世界): Means "Frozen World" in Japanese. The ultimate ability of Seiryuu's Bankai Daiguren Hyoryumaru. As a curious fact, this ability actually featued in another one of my stories, Bleach: After the War, as the ultimate ability of Hitsugaya's Bankai. Back then I didn't realize how broken the ability was. Seiryuu's use of it is intended to demonstrate just how powerful his Zanpakuto is.

*Gaia: The most fundamental ability of Unohana's Bankai, allowing her to regenerate spiritual bodies even if they are disintegrated, and also allows her to escape death by packing all of her life force into an egg (Kind of like King Piccolo in Dragon Ball).


	63. Chapter 63: White Princess Awakening

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

*Thanks to all the long time regulars and new readers who have sent in reviews! I appreciate all the feedback you have given, both not only the comments but also the constructive criticism.

* * *

Chapter 63: White Princess Awakening

Unohana fell onto her knees, panting heavily. She had expended most of her spirit energy in narrowly avoiding death; had the egg she planted inside Seiryuu not sprouted when it did she would have certainly been killed by a second _Toketsu_ _Sekai_ attack.

"Are you alright Unohana-san?" asked Hitsugaya. The young captain did his best to crawl over to her, despite having both his legs amputated at the knees.

"I am fine Hitsugaya Taicho. There is one last task I must do before I can allow myself to rest," replied Unohana. The 4th Division Captain stood up again. Only her immense willpower allowed her to maintain her Bankai form. She summoned her last reserves of spirit energy began a chant for her Bankai's final ability.

"Let all living things resurrect, _Okori Sosei_!" Hitsugaya gasped as numerous pores opened in Unohana's skin. From out of the pores came hundreds of seed pods that splattered onto the ground in showers of green slime. Within seconds of landing the pods expanded to human size and cracked open, revealing nearly five hundred naked human bodies. When he looked closely Hitsugaya recognised several familiar figures and was astonished. By her power alone Unohana had succeeded in restoring the bodies of Matsumoto, Hinamori, Hisagi, Kira and everyone else under his command who had been frozen and then shattered by Seiryuu.

"You did it Unohana-san!" exclaimed Hitsugaya. "You brought them all back!"

"No…I only managed to restore their bodies. I must…restore…their…life force…" Just then Unohana lost consciousness and fell over, her Bankai vanishing as she fell onto the ground, leaving her naked. Hitsugaya felt her spiritual pressure rapidly decrease. As he hastily crawled over to her, he felt her body and found it cold and stiff.

"Unohana-san? Unohana-san!" cried Hitsugaya. At this moment, the second of the pillars holding up the _Shin'yuu Kanmon_ barrier around the Senzaikyu vanished.

* * *

The sudden change in the barrier around the Senzaikyu was noticed by Ukitake, who was busy evacuating the last of the civilians from Seireitei along with his lieutenant Rukia.

"Kuchiki, head back to the barracks at once," said Ukitake.

"How come Taicho? We haven't finished evacuating everyone yet," said Rukia.

"Don't worry I'll finish the last few myself. I just have a feeling something bad is going to happen to the guys back at our barracks. Now go. I'll come after you once I'm done."

"Okay." Rukia nodded and quickly flash stepped back towards the 13th Division barracks as fast as she could.

* * *

Ukitake's intuition was not far off, for at this very moment a sinister woman approached the front gates of the barracks. Two 13th division guards who were standing by the gate attempted to stop her but the woman instantly thrust out her hands and grabbed them by the throat. The two men choked and gargled as all of their reiatsu and life force was quickly sucked out of their bodies.

"Such pathetic weaklings," commented the evil Royal Guard Ukitake Byakko. The white lady of the Shitenno broke open the barracks' gate and strolled inside. With most of the division's forces having been deployed to assist the evacuation of civilians, the barracks was almost empty. Byakko strolled around the grounds, sucking out the life force of any random Shinigami she came across as she tried to look for her brother's reiatsu.

"Hmph, it looks like he isn't here," Byakko said to herself as she peered inside a small hut in the middle of a large pond at the far eastern end of the barracks grounds.

"Hey you there! What are you doing inside the Taicho's Ugendo Quarters?" shouted a male voice from behind. Byakko turned around and saw an ordinary looking man with black hair, a goatee and a white headband. She gazed at him with a look of contempt.

"What is with those clothes? Are you an intruder?" asked one of the 13th Division's third seats Kotsubaki Sentaro. He was shaking in his boots as he unsheathed his Zanpakuto. As he saw the strange woman walk towards him Sentaro brandished his sword with both hands and threatened her with it.

"I'm warning you! If you take one step closer I will attack!" shouted Sentaro. Byakko simply chuckled and flash stepped past him, grabbing the hapless third seat by the throat. Within moments all of Sentaro's reiatsu had been drained out of him and his eyes rolled up into his head. Just as Byakko let go of his throat another woman with dark blond hair appeared in front of her. She saw the lifeless body of Sentaro on the ground and froze in shock.

"Sentaro!" screamed the other 13th Division third seat Kotetsu Kiyone. She glared at Byakko with hate filled eyes. "You bitch! What have you done to him?" Kiyone unsheathed her sword and tried to attack. Before she even reached her opponent Byakko had already flashed past her and grabbed her by the neck.

"My reiatsu…it's getting…drained…" croaked Kiyone. Seconds later she lost consciousness. Byakko let her lifeless body fall to the ground.

"What a waste of time. I thought my sick and cowardly brother was hiding here," said Byakko. "I guess I'll destroy this place before I go." Just as the Royal Guard crossed over the bridge she was confronted by a familiar face.

"Oh, what a pleasant surprise," chuckled Byakko. Standing in front of her was Rukia, who had hastily rushed back to the barracks when she sensed the spiritual pressures of Sentaro and Kiyone disappear. She glanced behind Byakko and saw two lifeless bodies lying on the bridge crossing the pond. She gasped in horror when she realized who they were.

"Sentaro! Kiyone!" exclaimed Rukia. She turned her gaze back to Byakko again. "Were you the one who did this, Ukitake Byakko?"

"So you remember my name. I am touched Tsukino-chan," said the Royal Guard. "I thought you had lost all your memories. It is a pity though; you haven't remembered all the wonderful things I did for you."  
"I don't know what you are talking about. My name isn't Tsukino, it is Kuchiki Rukia! All I know is that you are an enemy of Soul Society!" Rukia unsheathed her sword and with a brief intensifying of her spiritual pressure released her Zanpakuto _Sode no Shirayuki_ without a chant. She pointed her white sword at Byakko.

"Tsugi no Mai, _Hakuren_!" shouted Rukia. She fired a massive blast of snow and ice at Byakko's head. The long white haired female Royal Guard grinned smugly at the blast as she raised her hand to block.

"Devour, _Gamatsui Ouko_," said Byakko. The nails on her right hand glowed with a bright white light. As Rukia's _Hakuren_ attack impacted with Byakko's hand it was stopped in its tracks. Rukia gasped in astonishment as her attack suddenly disappeared into Byakko's hand.

"What…what was that?" asked an incredulous Rukia. Byakko pared back her long white hair and showed Rukia her fingernails. Rukia saw that each of her finger nails was covered by a thin metallic blade. Byakko then opened the top of her Shihakusho to show Rukia a dazzling white necklace that hung all the way down to her bust.

"Do you like what you see Tsukino-chan? This is the first time I have ever showed you my Zanpakuto, _Shishikyu no Chisei_. My Zanpakuto's ability allows me to absorb all reiatsu and reiryoku with my right hand. I can absorb and nullify all energy based attacks and with a touch of my hand I can drain the life out of my enemies. It is because of this power that I have been able to keep my Zanpakuto in its released state all the time, and maintain my beautiful appearance." Byakko flaunted her fingernails again as she strutted towards Rukia.

Despite having seen what happened to her _Hakuren_, Rukia refused to give up. After intensifying her reiatsu she started twirling around in a circle, shouting out the word "Bankai!" After a brief explosion of white spirit energy obscured her from view, Rukia emerged in a dazzling white kimono with white slippers on her feet and a yellow ribbon around her waist. Her hair grew down to her waist, and a tiara covered her forehead.

"Trying to attack me with your Bankai? It is useless Tsukino-chan. You cannot win against me," Byakko chided Rukia.

"We'll see about that!" exclaimed Rukia. With a wave of her right hand she summoned a _Tsukishiro_ circle right beneath Byakko's feet. The Royal Guard nonchalantly jumped clear of the large column of ice that shot up from the circle and landed on the waters of the pond beside. Rukia followed up with three more circles of ice, but each subsequent ice column was easily dodged by Byakko. After the fourth column, Byakko flash stepped behind Rukia.

"I told you, you cannot win against me." Byakko shout out her right hand to grab Rukia. Only a quick reactive flash step backwards saved Rukia from being caught. Out of sheer desperation Rukia concentrated all of her spirit energy into both of her hands and fired twin _Hakuren_ ice blasts at Byakko. The Royal Guard calmly blocked and started absorbing both attacks with her right hand.

"Are you trying to overpower me Tsukino-chan? What a foolish strategy," chuckled Byakko. "The more you try to attack me the stronger I will get."

Rukia refused to listen to Byakko's words. _I can't afford to give up! I have to win_! She poured the last reserves of her spirit energy into intensifying the _Hakuren_ blasts. Her efforts were in vain, for despite doubling in size both ice blasts were still easily absorbed by Byakko's right hand. Within ten seconds Rukia had drained almost all of her spirit energy. The petite Shinigami fell onto her knees and panted heavily.

"A valiant effort Tsukino-chan. You lasted much longer than the two fodder I killed previously," said Byakko as a compliment. She pointed her _left hand_ at Rukia. "Oh, I forgot to tell you one thing; my Zanpakuto's ability allows my left hand to convert the reiatsu I have absorbed from my enemies into concentrated energy blasts."

Rukia's body started shaking in horror as she saw Byakko charge up an enormous amount of energy around her left hand.

"Before I kill you Tsukino-chan, I must confess I never really liked taking care of you when you were a child. This is my revenge for all the stress you put me through." With that Byakko fired an immense white coloured energy blast at Rukia. _I'm doomed_, thought Rukia, as she saw the blast barrel towards her. Just seconds before the blast hit another figure suddenly appeared in front of Rukia. In an instant the blast disappeared. Byakko gasped in astonishment, and wondered what had happened. When she finally saw who it was that had appeared to rescue Rukia in the nick of time, her eyes bulged out in anger and rage. Her brother Ukitake Jushiro had absorbed the energy blast with the ability of his Zanpakuto _Sougyo no Kotowari_.

"Jushiro!" screamed Byakko. The white haired Captain of the 13th Division stared at his older sister with a mixture of sorrow and regret. He knew just from his reiatsu sensing that both his third seats Sentaro and Kiyone were dead.

"Why are you doing this Nee-san? Why are you following Tsukuyomi and using your powers to kill innocent people?" asked Ukitake.

"You want to know why I'm doing this? I follow Tsukuyomi-dono because I want to! As for the people who'd died by my hand…well, let's just say they should feel honoured that their reiatsu has become a part of me." Upon hearing his sister's words Ukitake shook his head in sadness.

"You haven't changed at all Nee-san. I thought all these years of service as a Royal Guard would have made you more devoted to protecting the lives of innocent people." Ukitake's rebuke stung Byakko. The white haired woman snarled at her brother.

"Don't try to lecture me Jushiro! I don't need a pathetic younger brother like you to tell me what to do!" Byakko fired a massive blast of white spiritual energy from her hand. As the blast neared Ukitake it was suddenly blocked by an invisible barrier and disappeared. A moment later Ukitake flash stepped behind his sister and pointed his right hand blade at Byakko's back. Before Byakko could react at all Ukitake discharged the attack she had fired at him back at her. The resulting blast carved a trail across the pond, causing the waters of the pond to churn into five metre high waves. When the waves subsided, both Ukitake and Rukia saw Byakko crouched upon her knees on the other side of the pond, panting heavily. Her cloak and the top half of her haori and Shihakusho had been blown away, and her shoulders and back had been horribly burnt.

"Your Zanpakuto ability is extremely powerful Nee-san, but it has one fatal weakness," said Ukitake. "Just like my _Sougyo no Kotowari _you can only block and absorb attacks in the direction your hands are facing. It easy for me to find your blind spot and send your attack back at you with interest."

"Damn you…Jushiro!" screamed Byakko. The Royal Guard turned her head and glared at her brother. Ukitake could see the murderous intent on Byakko's face. "I'm going to rip your heart out and suck your soul dry!" Byakko stood up and faced her enemies, despite being almost topless with only her long white hair covering her breasts.

"It has been nearly five hundred years since anyone has pushed me to use this. Bankai!" Ukitake and Rukia were suddenly knocked backwards by an incredible explosion of spiritual pressure around Byakko. The rest of the Royal Guard's clothes were torn away, leaving her momentarily naked. Her body was the gradually covered by a layer of pure spirit energy shaped like white fabric. Within seconds Byakko was dressed head to toe in a white jump-suit that accentuated her body's curves. Her hands were covered by white gloves which had sharp white claws attached to each finger. Rukia noticed that the necklace Byakko had worn under her Shihakusho was now imprinted on the front of her chest with a large black orb in the centre.

"That's…_ Shishikyu no Ouko Chisei…_" said Ukitake.

"Oh, you actually know about my Bankai Jushiro? Then you must know its power!" shouted Byakko. She stretched out her arms, and moments later started sucking in all of the reishi particles in a vicinity of ten feet around her body. Rukia watched in awe as the surface of the water and even the air itself was gradually stripped of reishi particles. All of the reishi particles were converted into raw spirit energy that converged on the black orb in the centre of Byakko's body. The Royal Guard channeled the spirit energy with both her hands, and before Ukitake could react she fired a massive white energy blast in his direction. The blast hit Ukitake, exploding in a giant column of fire that rose into the sky. The shockwave from the explosion caused ten metre high waves to ripple across the surface of the pond and nearby windows to shatter.

"Taicho!" shouted Rukia.

"I'm alright," said Ukitake. The white haired captain emerged from the smoke with burns on his face and torso but he shrugged them off and landed on the water of the pond about thirty metres away from Byakko. Byakko fired another white energy blast at Ukitake. Before the blast hit him Ukitake thrust his twin bladed Zanpakutos in front his body and shouted out "Bankai, _Sougyo no Tendo Kotowari_!"

The left blade of Ukitake's Zanpakuto shot out a white membrane of spirit energy that formed into the shape of a large rectangular shield about five feet in length and four feet across. The original blade slotted into the shield's handle. The right blade also projected a white membrane of spirit energy that formed into a huge spectral nodachi sword over seven feet in length. Both the sword and shield were linked together by five red ropes covered with numerous metallic charms etched with ancient scriptures. As he finished releasing his Bankai, Ukitake brought up the shield in front of his body. Byakko's energy blast slammed into the shield and was instantly absorbed. The resulting spirit energy travelled along the ropes linking the shield with the sword. A second later the large spectral sword glowed brightly. It was the only notice Byakko had before Ukitake's sword fired an energy blast over five times larger than the one the shield absorbed back at her.

"Trying to shoot my own attack back at me? That won't work little brother!" exclaimed Byakko. The Royal Guard thrust both her arms forward to block the attack. As soon as the energy blast hit Byakko's hands it was instantly absorbed and redirected back at Ukitake. Ukitake saw Byakko's attack coming. In respond he held his spirit shield so that it covered the front of his body completely. Then he thrust his spirit sword _through_ the shield so that the front portion of the sword's blade jutted through. As Byakko's energy blast hit Ukitake's energy shield, it was immediately repelled and sent flying back towards Byakko.

"What? How dare you try to copy me brother!" screamed Byakko. She fired another energy blast even more powerful than the one that was coming at her. The two energy blasts met halfway between the two siblings and caused a shockwave of energy so powerful that it instantly vaporized all the water in the pond and destroyed the Ugendo hut.

"Argh!" Rukia cried out as she was blown backwards by the shockwave, landing hard on her back several metres away. As she tried to get up again, she watched in amazement as the two Ukitake siblings engaged in a fierce struggle for supremacy, with both of them using all of their strength in an attempt to overpower the other. Gradually, Ukitake gained ground upon his sister, thanks to the ability of his Bankai to fire back any energy blasts it absorbs at five times their original strength. Soon Byakko was forced backwards until her body was pressed against the pond wall. _Just one push and I've got this_, thought Ukitake. He intensified his reiatsu in a final effort to completely overpower Byakko's energy blast.

At this moment, Byakko suddenly disappeared from sight. Ukitake's gigantic energy blast completely overpowered Byakko's and carved a two kilometer trail of destruction across Seireitei before finally dissipating.

"Damn it, I lost sight of her!" swore Ukitake.

"Behind you Taicho!" screamed Rukia. Her signal was too late. Before Ukitake could react, Byakko, who had flash stepped behind her brother, penetrated through Ukitake's defences and thrust her right hand through his heart and out the other side of his chest. Within seconds Ukitake's face grew pale as all of his reiatsu was sucked out of his body. Byakko withdrew her hand from her brother's chest, and watched smugly as Ukitake fell.

"NOOO!" cried an anguished and horrified Rukia as she saw her beloved captain topple over. She quickly flash stepped in front of him so that she could catch him before he fell to the ground. As Rukia's hands wrapped around Ukitake's body she could feel the blood coming out of the gaping wound in his chest.

"Ukitake Taicho, Ukitake Taicho!" Rukia called out. "Please don't die Ukitake Taicho!"

"Run…Kuchiki…it is too late for me…" croaked Ukitake. He spat a glob of blood from his mouth. "Save…yourself…" Rukia trembled in despair as she felt her captain's life force disappear. Ukitake lost consciousness and his body slowly dropped out of Rukia's hands and fell to the ground.

"Ha, ha, ha, what a pathetic end for you Jushiro!" laughed Byakko sadistically. "In the end you were no match for me!" As the Royal Guard continued to laugh and gloat over her brother's fallen body, the sight of Ukitake's lifeless body triggered something inside of Rukia's mind. Whether it was due to some sort of invisible barrier being lifted, or something else, all of the memories of Rukia's past life came flooding back to her. She screamed at the top of her voice as she relived in her mind the tragedies that her former self, Princess Tsukino, had experienced…

* * *

_"Keep still!"_ _chided a woman's voice._

_ "But Byakko-san, I want to go outside!" cried an impetuous Tsukino. As the eldest daughter of the Spirit King Izanagi, the White Princess had been confined and protected for almost all of her life. It was no different on this occasion, which would mark the princess' first trip outside the Royal Realm into the wider world of Soul Society. As the royal procession exited the main Senkaimon of Seireitei, Tsukino was forced to sit in a small and cramped gondola, carried aloft by over a dozen servants, whilst two of the Reioh's most senior Royal Guards, Yamamoto Suzaku and Ukitake Byakko, walked alongside to provide protection._

_ "Ojou-sama, I cannot allow you to exit the gondola until we arrive at the destination," said Byakko. "Please remain seated quietly!" The long raven haired princess started sulking and whining in her chair. Having been spoilt all of her life, Tsukino was unused to having her every demand unmet. _

_ As the procession advanced along a long promenade lined with numerous tall columns, it was suddenly attacked by a beam of red spirit energy from the sky above. _

_ "We're under attack!" shouted several nearby men. A second energy blast hit the gondola directly, killing half of the bearers and knocking the gondola onto its side. Tsukino screamed and covered her head with her hands as more energy blasts rocked the vicinity._

_ "It's a hollow attack!" yelled Suzaku. Tsukino heard him and Byakko unsheathing their swords and heading out to battle. When the blasts died down, Tsukino seized upon her chance to exit the gondola by crawling through the rooftop. As she emerged from the gondola Tsukino was almost immediately ambushed by a frightening hollow of immense size and power. The hollow opened its mouth and started charging a red energy beam aimed at Tsukino._

_ "Save me!" screamed Tsukino in fear. Both Suzaku and Byakko rushed to save their princess as soon as they saw her. Before they could reach her, another Shinigami got to her first. A handsome man with orange hair and wearing a white haori flash stepped past a startled Tsukino and unsheathed his sword._

_ "Pierce the Heavens, _Zangetsu_," said the man. The sword he was carrying transformed into a giant cleaver like blade over five feet long. He swung his released sword in a downward arc, shouting out "_Getsuga Tensho!" _as he did so. A huge crescent shaped energy blast shot out of his blade and scythed through the hollow, cutting it in half before it could fire its energy blast. The hollow let out a monstrous cry as it disintegrated. The orange haired man then returned his sword to its normal state and sheathed it again. He turned around and landed beside Tsukino, who had watched the whole scene in awe and amazement._

_ "Are you alright my lady?" asked the orange haired man, who Tsukino would later find out was the 5th Division Captain Shiba Mamoru. As she stared at his soft brown eyes, Tsukino was captivated by his handsome face and powerfully built yet lean body. Before she knew what was happening, Tsukino took the man's hand as he helped her up to her feet. The man then bent down and gently kissed her on the hand. This act so outraged Byakko that the Royal Guard rushed frantically towards the two of them. She yanked Tsukino's hand away and slapped the man across the face._

_ "How dare you defile the body of Tsukino Ojou-sama!" screamed Byakko in a rage._

_ "I'm sorry if I offended you," Mamoru apologized. "I didn't mean her any harm._

_ "You will pay for this act of debauchery!" Byakko was about to unsheathe her sword._

_ "Stop it Byakko-san!" shouted Tsukino. "That man saved my life!" Her words caused Byakko to halt in her actions. The Royal Guard spat in Mamoru's face and took Tsukino away._

_ "Let's go back Ojou-sama! It isn't safe for you to be here!" _

_Princess Tsukino's visit to Soul Society was abruptly ended as Byakko and Suzaku took her back to the King's Realm. However the royal princess wasn't worried at all that she missed her chance to see Seireitei. As she returned to her living quarters Tsukino could not stop thinking about the man who had saved her life._

_ "Byakko-san, the guy who saved me was so handsome looking! I wish I could see him again," said Tsukino in a daydream. _

_ "Forget about him Ojou-sama. That man will never be allowed to enter this sacred domain," said Byakko angrily. _

_ Ten years later however Tsukino's wish was granted when her father the Spirit King decided to promote the 5th Division Captain Shiba Mamoru to the Royal Guards and assigned him to be the personal bodyguard of his eldest daughter._

_ "Mamoru-kun!" shouted Tsukino in happiness when she saw him enter her room for the first time. Without any pretence of grace she wrapped her arms around his body._

_ "My lady…this is a bit unseemly," laughed Mamoru._

_ "I always wanted to see you again Mamoru-kun."_

_ "Ha, ha, that is nice. You'll get to see a lot of me from now on. Izanagi-dono has appointed me to be your personal bodyguard. I am willing to do anything that you wish, Tsukino-chan." Mamoru's vow caused a flutter in Tsukino's heart. The young princess's wildest dreams had come true. She finally had a shining knight who would do anything for her. _

_ From then on, Mamoru was the only person Tsukino turned to for help or advice. He taught her many useful skills and provided her with emotional support when she was down. _

_ "Can you show me that amazing move you did when you protected me from that monster again?" asked Tsukino to Mamoru one day as the two of them looked out of the balcony of her personal room. _

_ "I'd be happy to oblige." Mamoru took out his Zanpakuto and fired another crescent shaped blue energy blast out the window and into the vast expanses of sky beyond. Tsukino's eyes sparkled with excitement and wonder._

_ "I wish I could have a sword as strong as yours Mamoru-kun." Mamoru chuckled at her words and shook his head slightly. He then bent down onto his knees._

_ "My dear Tsukino-chan, you don't need a sword to be strong. This Zanpakuto of mine, Zangetsu, is only a manifestation of the strength that is inside my heart. You too have a power inside your heart, a special kind of power that no one else has." Mamoru's words touched Tsukino deeply as he laid his hands on her chest. _

_ Unbeknownst to Tsukino, there were other people inside the royal palace who were angered at how close Mamoru was getting to her. Chief among them were Tsukino's former guardian Byakko and her own half-brother brother, Tsukuyomi. Both of them began conspiring behind the princess' back. As Tsukino went to bed one night, the two figures secretly met outside her room._

_ "We have to do something about Mamoru," said Byakko. "Ojou-sama is getting too close to him for her own good. All she cares about is him; she never speaks to me anymore."_

_ "I know how you feel. That damn orange haired bastard needs to die," said Tsukuyomi. "With him around, I cannot get Tsukino to marry me."_

_ "What should we do Tsukuyomi-dono? Hideyoshi-san and the Reioh will get mad if they get word of this."_

_ "Don't worry the others won't know a thing. I'll make a move on Mamoru tonight. Once he is dead, do your best to placate the princess until she is docile enough to agree to the marriage. When the two of us are wed and I finally have the succession to the Spirit Throne assured, you can Tsukino and then the two of us can rule the world together."_

_ "That is an absolutely delightful idea Tsukuyomi-dono!" Byakko and Tsukuyomi cackled with laughter as they left the vicinity. Neither of them knew that their entire conversation had been overheard by Tsukino, who was now absolutely terrified at what she had heard._

_ "Oh no, I have to warn Mamoru-kun!" Tsukino hastily got out of bed and ran out the door, despite only wearing her nightgown. She ran as fast as she could to Mamoru's living quarters. When she got there, she was shocked at what she saw. Her brother Tsukuyomi had stabbed him through the chest and throat with his sword, while her former maid Byakko was watching on with a delighted expression on her face. Tsukuyomi retracted his sword and allowed Mamoru to fall, much to Tsukino's horror._

_ "NOOO!" screamed Tsukino. The princess rushed into the room and caught Mamoru before he hit the ground._

_ "What are you doing here Tsukino?" asked Tsukuyomi angrily. Tsukino ignored her brother and Byakko, focusing only on cradling Mamoru in her arms._

_ "Please don't leave me Mamoru-kun," cried Tsukino. Mamoru still managed a chuckle despite blood flowing freely from his mouth._

_ "Don't worry about me Tsukino-chan. I will always…be in your heart…" as he finished those words Mamoru passed away, his body slowly disintegrating into spirit particles. Uncontrolled tears of sadness flowed down Tsukino's face._

_ "What a pity. If you hadn't overheard us my dear sister, you would have been spared this traumatic scene," said Tsukuyomi. The prince stood before his sister and offered his hand. "Take my hand sister. Together we can be the new Spirit King and Queen."_

_ "Liar!" shouted a grief-stricken Tsukino. She suddenly got onto her feet and ran to the wall. As she got there she used her dormant inner powers to open a dark portal to the Dangai. _

_ "What are you doing Tsukino-chan?" asked a shocked Tsukuyomi._

_ "Ojou-sama!" screamed Byakko. The two of them went after her but Tsukino stopped them in their tracks when she materialized a pure white sword in her hands. _

_ "I will never belong to you Nii-sama," declared Tsukino in an ultimatum to her brother. "My heart belongs to Mamoru-kun. I would die rather than be with you!" With that Tsukino stabbed herself in the heart before stepping through the portal just as it started closing._

_ "Darn you Tsukino!" cursed Tsukuyomi as he saw his sister disappear. A second after the portal closed, Tsukino was struck by the Kototsu, and her body was flung through the void of time. As she died, Tsukino wished she could live again, just so she could see the man she loved once more…_

* * *

Back in the present, Rukia's body underwent a dramatic transformation, as her past incarnation finally regained all her memories and consciousness. Her already lengthy hair grew all the way down to her knees and turned dark blue in colour. The white kimono that formed part of her Bankai costume changed appearance, becoming an elegant sleeveless white dress with an exposed top, an extended blue ribbon that resembled a pair of butterfly wings, and a long train that extended past her ankles. Her slippers became a pair of sparkling diamond heels, while the tiara on her head became a diamond encrusted blue crown with a crescent shaped moon logo. Finally Rukia's violet coloured eyes turned into a shade of light blue.

"What, what is this form?" asked an incredulous Byakko. "Wait…don't tell me…you've regained your memories…Ojou-sama?" The reawakened Princess Tsukino flared out a burst of reiatsu that brought Byakko to her knees.

"I will never forgive you what you've done to Ukitake Taicho, or Mamoru-kun," said Tsukino. She advanced towards the startled Byakko, who was still trying to comprehend how the transformation happened.

"You think you can hurt me? Take this!" Byakko fired a huge white energy blast at Tsukino from an almost point blank range. Tsukino blocked the blast with her hand, causing it to instantly dissipate, much to Byakko's astonishment.

"Impossible! How did you cancel my attack?" screamed Byakko in exasperation. She charged at Tsukino in an attempt to suck her reiatsu dry. Tsukino let Byakko touch her, but much to the Royal Guard's dismay, nothing happened.

"I am the White Princess, the daughter of Izanagi. You Zanpakuto's abilities cannot hope to match my power," said Tsukino. With but a thought she instantly nullified Byakko's Bankai. This had the effect of not only knocking Byakko out her _Keshin _state, it also caused Byakko to suffer a horrifying side effect. Byakko suddenly screamed as all of the reiatsu she had absorbed in the past started leaving her body.

"No, what is happening to me?" Byakko looked at her hands, and saw them age before her eyes. She touched her face and realized the same process was happening all over her body. The Royal Guard shrieked in sheer terror at what was happening to her. The youthful appearance she had maintained over the course of two thousand years had been due to the reiatsu she had absorbed from her victims. Now that it was gone, causing her to revert to the form of a wrinkly old hag. But Byakko's nightmare didn't end there. Tsukino's ability had actually reversed the effects of her Zanpakuto, so that now Byakko's own reiatsu and life force was rapidly being drained from her body.

"TSUKINO!" screamed Byakko in a final manic rage. She crawled on her hands and knees towards the princess in a desperate attempt to kill her. Just as Byakko tried to get her hands upon Tsukino her eyes suddenly rolled up into her head and she fell to the ground. Seconds later her body quickly turned into a skeleton and dissolved into nothingness.

At this moment, Rukia's inner personality resurfaced again, after having momentarily been subdued by the reawakened Princess Tsukino. She still retained her past memories, but Rukia was once again herself. She quickly turned her mind away from the remains of Byakko and checked on her captain Ukitake.

"Ukitake Taicho…" said Rukia. Though she could sense no reiatsu from him, Rukia was heartened by the fact that Ukitake's body had not disappeared. _There is still time to save him,_ she thought. Her Tsukino personality recalled the abilities she possessed as the daughter of the Spirit King, with the foremost ability being resurrection and restoration of any spiritual object, no matter what state it was in.

Rukia placed both hands upon Ukitake's back and began channeling the vast amounts of spirit energy she now possessed into her captain's body. Before her eyes she saw the gaping hole in Ukitake's chest close up. Then the reiatsu that had been drained by Byakko was gradually restored to him. When she finished restoring Ukitake to his original state, Rukia calmly watched on as her captain slowly opened his eyes.

"K…Kuchiki?" asked a surprised Ukitake. Rukia smiled at him happily.

"You're alright now Taicho."

* * *

Comments

This chapter covers the third of the Shitenno fights, but also features some mind blowing plot events. Not only does Ukitake finally show his true powers, but the mysteries behind Rukia's former self, Princess Tsukino, are finally revealed. As to what role Tsukino will play in the future, well you will all have to wait for the next few chapters to find out.

*Okori Sosei(起り甦生): Means "Genesis Rebirth" in Japanese. This is Unohana's ultimate Bankai abilty, which allows her to resurrect the bodies of any being who has been killed recently provided she has a portion of her DNA. Though Hisagi, Kira, Matsumoto and the other 500 who were frozen by Seiryuu remain dead, the fact that their bodies have been restored will be important later on.

*Gamatsui Ouko(がめつい王后): Means "Predatory Queen" in Japanese. This is Byakko's Zanpakuto. Its name reflects both its ability and its similarity with Ukitake's Zanpakuto, as Byakko's Shikai ability allows her hands to absorb the reiatsu of any person she touches and allows her to absorb all energy based attacks. Because of its appearance and ability, Byakko is able to keep her Zanpakuto in a constant Shikai state.

*Shishikyu no Ouko Chisei(獅子宮の王后治世): Means "Rule of the Lion Queen" in Japanese. This is Byakko's Bankai. It represents a further extension of her Shikai's ability by giving her entire body the ability to asborb and reflect reiatsu and spirit energy (like the Preta Path in Naruto). The name and overall theme of Byakko's Bankai reflects the Zodiac constellation Leo the Lion, just like Ukitake's Zanpakuto reflects Pisces.

*Sougyo no Tendo Kotowari(双魚宮の天堂理): Means "Heavenly Truth of Pisces" in Japanese. This is Ukitake's Bankai. Its appearance is intended to reflect Itachi's Susano'o from Naruto, as well as the weapon Ukitake used to destroy the Sougyoku, in that he possesses a sword in one hand and a shield in the other.

*Shiba Mamoru: The former Captain of the 5th Division and Royal Guard, as well as Isshin's grandfather. As many readers who have read the previous chapters might suspect, Mamoru is also Ichigo's former incarnation, as demonstrated by the fact that he also wields Zangetsu, and his trademark orange hair.

*Princess Tsukino: The centrepiece of this chapter is arguably the full awakening of Rukia to her former self. As befitting the daughter of the Spirit King, Tsukino possesses transcedent reiatsu and some seriously overpowered abilities. Most of them are tied around the concept of 'rejection', as in rejecting the existence of an enemy's Zanpakuto, and in rejecting the death of an ally. In a way Tsukino's abilities are similar to Orihime's although they are obviously far more powerful.


	64. Chapter 64: Yamamoto's Heirs

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

*Thanks long time regulars Ghost2113, Shadow Knight1121, HokkaidoMaster, as well as other new readers for sending in reviews! The climax to the Civil War Arc is fast approaching!

* * *

Chapter 64: Yamamoto's Heirs

"I'm…alive?" Ukitake had to touch his cheek just to make sure he wasn't dreaming. "I thought for sure I was dead." He felt his chest and was astounded to find the hole his sister had punched through him was gone. The 13th division captain looked at Rukia again. Her appearance caused him to do a double take.

"Surprised?" asked Rukia with a smile. "I'm the one who revived you Ukitake Taicho."

"Kuchiki...is that really you? You look like…Princess Tsukino!" exclaimed a stunned Ukitake. Though he had never laid eyes on the princess before, he knew from firsthand accounts what she looked like, and Rukia now unmistakably resembled her.

"Tee hee, I _am _Princess Tsukino," said Rukia lightheartedly. "Or more exactly, her reincarnation. My former self had been lying dormant inside of me all this time, until the shock of seeing you dead awakened the memories inside of me. Now I know everything about my past. I know about my brother Tsukuyomi, the role your sister Byakko played in my death; and most importantly of all, I know about Mamoru-kun."

For a moment Ukitake did not know what Rukia was talking about. But then he remembered how he felt when he first saw Kurosaki Ichigo, and thought that his former friend Shiba Mamoru had somehow come back to life.

"If you know Mamoru, then you must know what became of him," said Ukitake. Tsukino nodded. There was a mixture of sadness and happiness on her face.

"Knowing who he truly is makes me long to see Ichigo's face again even more. But I know this is not the time for such sentimental thoughts." Rukia got onto her feet and stared at the Senzaikyu Tower. She saw that only two of the pillars supporting the _Shin'yuu Kanmon_ barrier around the Senzaikyu were still up.

"This is not good. One of the pillars must have disappeared when I was 'killed' by Byakko. If Shunsui and Shinji fall, then the path to the Ouken is open to Tsukuyomi. I must back them up just in case." Ukitake tried to get onto his feet, but he found his body too weak to even move.

"Don't push yourself Ukitake Taicho. It is better if you recovered your strength first. You can leave Tsukuyomi Nii-san to me," Rukia flexed her reiatsu in a display of power that astounded Ukitake. After giving her captain a wink, she jumped into the air and headed towards the Senzaikyu. Ukitake was left to marvel at how powerful Rukia had become. _You truly have grown, Kuchiki_…

* * *

"Damn, the others are all dead!" swore the Royal Guard Suzaku as he neared the 8th Division barracks. Though he was pleased that the barrier surrounding the Senzaikyu had weakened considerably, he was pissed that Genbu, Seiryuu and Byakko had all gotten themselves killed by beings supposedly much weaker than them. Now he was the only one of the Shitenno left, and he knew that if he failed to bring down the _Shin'yuu Kanmon_ barrier, he would feel his master Azrael's wrath.

With his temper already at a boiling point, Suzaku heralded his arrival at the entrance to the 8th Division barracks with a burst of fiery hot spiritual pressure that incinerated nearly a dozen hapless Shinigami who had been standing in the courtyard outside the barracks' entrance. The remaining Shinigami screamed as they ran for their lives as their comrades' bodies were turned into charred husks.

"Ah…I love the smell of burning flesh in the morning," quipped Suzaku. The fiery red haired Royal Guard strolled nonchalantly towards the front gate. Before he could get there, his way was suddenly blocked by a single valiant Shinigami.

"You shall not pass," said Nanao Ise, in a slightly quivering voice. Even though she knew she stood no chance against a being of such caliber, the brave 3rd Seat of the 8th division was willing to defend the barracks with her life.

"Get lost…woman," chided Suzaku. The Royal Guard flexed his reiatsu in an attempt to crush his insignificant enemy by spiritual pressure alone. Nanao surprisingly resisted being crushed. Despite the huge amount of spiritual pressure being exerted against her body, she refused to collapse. _This reiatsu is nothing compared to Yamamoto Sotaicho's_, thought Nanao.

"I swear on the honor of my beloved captain Kyoraku Taicho that I will defend these doors to the very end!" shouted Nanao in a strong voice. She unsheathed her Zanpakuto from her holster and held it horizontally in her hands. "Fan out, _Kamaitachi_!" With a horizontal sweep of her right hand, Nanao turned her normal sealed sword into a giant three foot long war fan, with over two dozen spokes extending outwards from a central pivot. Each of the spokes tapered into sharp spear like points. With a wave of her hand Nanao extended her war fan to its full size, with the fans' surface spanning about two feet across.

"How amusing," chuckled Suzaku. "You intend to attack me with that puny fan?"

"Why don't you experience my fan's power?" asked Nanao. She swung her war fan in a large horizontal arc, creating numerous gusts of wind that flew past Suzaku's body at incredible speeds. Each gust of wind contained hundreds of miniatures blades that were intended to cut the enemy's skin as the wind blew past their bodies. To Nanao's utter shock, Suzaku didn't even receive a single scratch. Instead the Royal Guard was both puzzled and amused at the display.

"Impossible…he isn't even hurt," said Nanao in dismay,

"Hey woman, did you seriously think you could do anything against me with that pathetic fan of yours?" Suzaku glared at Nanao with blood filled eyes. "A mere gust of wind is powerless against the all-consuming flames of my Zanpakuto!" Suzaku unsheathed his Zanpakuto from its scabbard. As he withdrew it and held it in his right hand his sword started emitting sparks that quickly turned into raging flames that lit up the entire blade.

"Incinerate all living things, _Dai Hou-Oh_!" shouted Suzaku. The blade in his hands erupted into a raging maelstrom of fire that completely encircled Nanao both on the ground and in the air. _This fire…it's just like Yamamoto Sotaicho's Ryujin Jakka_, thought Nanao. Despite her most heroic efforts, Nanao's body could no longer withstand the sheer intensity of the reiatsu and the heat being emitted from Suzaku's sword. She fell onto her knees, her Zanpakuto falling from her hands. Her eyes widened in sheer terror as Suzaku clicked his left thumb and middle finger.

"_Phoenix Enko Funka_!" With those words, Suzaku caused the air around Nanao to suddenly burst into flames. Nanao screamed as her entire body was consumed by the flames.

"Yes, be burnt alive by my flames!" laughed Suzaku. The Royal Guard's insane thrill at seeing his innocent victim getting roasted alive was short lived when from out a nowhere a figure suddenly appeared in front of Suzaku, grabbed Nanao and brought her out of the flames. When Suzaku realized who it was he almost had an apoplexy.

"S…Shunsui!" screamed Suzaku in a rage. The Captain of the 8th Division, a man known for his flamboyant clothing, bamboo hat and long brown hair, had an expression of disappointment in his face as he held his subordinate Nanao's body in his hands.

"Taicho…I'm…so…sorry," cried Nanao. Despite having been in the flames for only a few seconds, her body had already been horribly burnt and scorched.

"There, there, Nanao-chan," said Shunsui in an attempt to comfort her. He knew the pain she must be going through, and he was secretly glad when Nanao's eyes became vacant that her struggle was over. He gently laid her body on the ground and took off the colorful pink kimono he wore over his captain's haori. He covered Nanao's body with the Kimono. As he did so, he saw his fellow captain Shinji appear beside him.

"Sorry about the delay Kyoraku-san. I had to flash step here from my division's barracks," said Shinji. It took Shinji a few seconds to realize there was a body on the ground. "Is that the body of one of your subordinates?"

"It was Nanao-chan," replied Shunsui. Shinji immediately understood what had happened and shook his head in disbelief. Shunsui finished staring at Nanao's body and finally stood up and faced Suzaku.

"Why did you kill her Suzaku? I know you are after Shinji and I, but you didn't have to go to such extreme lengths against an innocent lady," said Shunsui.

"Don't lecture me about ethics Shunsui. That bitch got in my way, and I kill any person who gets in my way period," Suzaku stated vehemently.

"Looks like you haven't changed at all since the younger days Suzaku-san. I thought the thousand years of service as a Royal Guard would have tempered your ruthlessness."  
"As if! Did you think I enjoyed being a Royal Guard? To sit in that cold and lifeless realm guarding the corpse of a dead man? Hell no!" Suzaku clenched his left fist angrily. "For over a thousand years I watched the King and the rest of his useless family do nothing but wallow in debauchery. I saw what happened to Soul Society after Commander Hideyoshi and I left. It was taken over by a group of corrupt men who have never been in combat. They slowly turned Soul Society into a corrupt dictatorship where the elites ruled over the masses, while Commander Hideyoshi, myself and the rest of us Royal Guards were powerless to do anything about it! How do you think I felt?"  
"Is that why you chose to side with Tsukuyomi, Suzaku-san?" asked Shinji

"Of course! Tsukuyomi-dono was the only member of the Royal Guard who thought the same way as I did. He had a vision of changing Soul Society and the world for the better! All of us Shitenno pledged our loyalty to him because of the world he promised to create for us!"

"You are a fool Suzaku. Do you know what will happen if Tsukuyomi kills the Reioh and destroys the Spirit Throne?" asked Shunsui angrily. "It will destroy Soul Society and the real world! You too will perish along with everyone else."

"I don't give a damn. So as long as Tsukuyomi-dono fulfils his goals, I wouldn't mind giving my life for him."

"It appears that talk and reasoning is useless then." With a solemn expression on his face Shunsui unsheathed his Katana and Wazikashi pair from their scabbards. Shinji also unsheathed his sword, and the two captains faced off against the last of the Shitenno. Suzaku regarded his opponents for a moment, before intensifying his reiatsu into a barrier of flames that surrounded his body.

"I shall enjoy roasting both of you alive. Especially you, Shunsui. It shall be revenge for all of the times you slighted my honour," said Suzaku. The fiery red haired Royal Guard pointed his flaming sword at the two captains and fired an enormous concentrated column of fire. Shunsui and Shinji jumped into the air and flash stepped to avoid the attack. The column of fire blasted through the 8th Division barracks' front gate and tore right through the barracks, carving a kilometer long trench that stretched nearly all the way to the shattered walls of Seireitei.

"Damn, I missed!" swore Suzaku as he saw Shunsui and Shinji reappear on a ledge about three hundred metres to his right. Shinji placed his left hand over his face and summoned his hollow mask. His reiatsu and spirit energy intensified greatly, something which was noticed by Suzaku.

"Is that…hollowfication?" asked Suzaku.

"So what if it is?" Shinji responded. The blonde haired captain gripped his sword's blade horizontally and fired a _Cero_ at Suzaku. The massive energy blast hit the Royal Guard head on and blew up a large portion of the walls on the other side of the courtyard. Suzaku however emerged from the blast unscathed, having protected himself with a shield of flames that resembled a phoenix's wings.

"To dabble in hollow powers is truly a despicable act," said Suzaku. "I have no idea why the Central 46 didn't punish you for it."

"I've already been punished enough," retorted Shinji, with a guttural hollow accent. Suzaku's brief conversation with Shinji gave Shunsui an opening to attack. The crafty 8th Division Captain released his Zanpakuto _Katen Kyokotsu _without saying its incantation and instantly stabbed the portion of the ground that was covered by Suzaku's shoulder. Only a reflex reaction and followed by a quick leap into the air saved Suzaku from being skewered, for a shadowy blade suddenly thrust out of the ground beneath his feet.

"What the heck was that?" asked Suzaku angrily.

"That was one of the abilities of my Zanpakuto _Katen Kyokotsu_, _Kageoni_," said Shunsui. He showered Suzaku his twin Chinese style scimitars. "_Katen Kyokotsu's_ ability is to make children's games real. One such game is _Kageoni_, where the person who steps on his own shadow loses."  
"A game where a person who steps on their shadow loses? What kind of fucked up ability is that? You won't beat me with mere child's play!' Suzaku raised his sword in the air. "Take this, _Phoenix Enko Hane_!" Suzaku swing his flame sword in a downward arc, creating a massive burst of flames shaped like a phoenix's wings that descended upon Shunsui and Shinji. Just before the flames hit, Shinji quickly spun his Zanpakuto _Sakanade_ in a circle, releasing its Shikai form, before holding it upright in his hands in front of him.

"Repel, _Sakanade_," said Shinji. The wing shaped flames bounced off an invisible barrier surrounding Shunsui and Shinji and were sent flying back towards their creator. Suzaku screamed in pain as he was momentarily consumed by his own flames. He quickly flash stepped and rolled along the ground to dowse himself.

"You bastards!" swore Suzaku as he got up. "You will pay for this!" He swung his flame sword in a large horizontal arc in an attempt to fire another _Phoenix Enko Hane_ at the two captains. Before he could the attack off, Shunsui suddenly appeared right in front of him and slashed at Suzaku's blade. As soon as _Katen Kyokotsu_ made contact with _Dai Hou-oh's_ blade, the flames that surrounded Suzaku's sword disappeared.

"What the fuck is this? How did you make my flames disappear?" asked Suzaku at Shunsui angrily.

"_Kendo-oni_," said Shunsui with a smile. "In this game, neither of us can use our Zanpakuto abilities or Kido." The 8th Division captain immediately started attacking Suzaku with both of his Scimitars, forcing the Royal Guard backwards.

"Are you telling me I can only use my sealed sword?"

"What is the matter Suzaku? Are your Zanjutsu skills not up to scratch?"

"Shut up!" Suzaku and Shunsui exchanged a series of furious and lightning fast blows with their swords, with both fighters swinging their blades at speeds many times faster than the human eye could see. After several exchanges, it became obvious that Shunsui had the advantage, not only with his two swords, but also due to his better Zanjutsu skills. Suzaku was forced on the defensive, and the Royal Guard was barely managing to block all of Shunsui's attacks with his blade. Suzaku's focus on Shunsui made him lose track of Shinji, and the 5th Division Captain exploited this advantage by appearing behind Suzaku unnoticed.

"Got you!" shouted Shinji with a sly grin. Suzaku only had a brief moment to gasp in astonishment as Shinji's sword cut down his back from his right shoulder to almost his waist. A huge amount of high pressure bloods spurted from the gash and landed on the ground around Suzaku's feet, as the Royal Guard fell to his knees. Before Shunsui and Shinji could finish him, Suzaku emitted a blast of enormous spiritual pressure that blew both of them several metres away from him.

"Unforgivable, absolutely unforgivable!" shouted Suzaku in a rage. His eyes were now completely blood filled red. "How dare you injure my prefect body? For that, the two of you, and the whole world, shall burn in hell! BANKAI!" Within a few milliseconds, the flaming sword in Suzaku's hands vanished and condensed into a dense cloud of superhot gas and flames that quickly expanded in size until it almost filled the entire courtyard. Shunsui and Shinji gasped in awe and horror as the cloud of flames took on a solid change, eventually forming into a phoenix of enormous size and power. Golden coloured wings made out of pure flames spread out over two hundred metres in length, while a tail made of five twenty metre long streams of fire that scorched the ground. Finally a pair of golden eyes regarded the two puny Shinigami on the ground with malice.

"What, what is that Kyoraku-san?" asked an incredulous Shinji.

"That is…_Fumetsu Dai Hou-oh_," said Shunsui bluntly. "It is second only to Yamaji-san's _Ryujin Jakka_ as the greatest fire-type Zanpakuto."  
"It looks so much like the Sokyoku's true form."

"That's because I was the one who created the Sokyoku!" laughed Suzaku madly. "I imbued the execution blade with a portion of my Zanpakuto's power, and Genbu helped to magnify it so that it had the power of a million Zanpakutos! Still, even the released Sokyoku's power doesn't compare to my Bankai. You shall be the first to feel my full wrath!"

With a mental command, Suzaku's giant phoenix opened its mouth and shot out a stream of superhot stream of fire that engulfed Shunsui and Shinji's bodies. The flames quickly spread until they covered a thousand square metre area of Seireitei in a sea of fire. Shunsui and Shinji only managed to escape the flames by jumping to the air. Any unfortunate soul unfortunate enough to have still been in the vicinity of the 8th Division barracks would have undoubtedly been burnt to a crisp.

"Hot, hot, hot!" yelled Shinji as he quickly tossed off his captain's haori and rolled around in mid-air to douse the flames. Shunsui also hastily discarded his haori as well as his bamboo hat, before using a Kido spell that caused small rain clouds to appear above his and Shinji's heads. The rain falling from the clouds caused the flames covering their bodies to die down. Even with their quick thinking, both Shunsui and Shinji had suffered significant second degree burns their bodies, especially their faces, which were now covered with soot.

"Man, those flames were intense. Even Yamaji-san's _Ryukin Jakka_ didn't feel as hot as this," said Shunsui.

"Huh, I thought you said Yamamoto-san's Zanpakuto was stronger," said Shinji.

"Yamaji-san never used his Bankai against Jushiro or I for good reason. His Bankai would have literally turned all of Seireitei to ashes. I fear that Suzaku's going to do the same thing if we don't stop him."

"Damn straight I am. And what's this talk about my old man's Zanpakuto being stronger? My _Fumetsu Dai Hou-oh_ is a million times hotter than _Ryujin Jakka_!" Suzaku raised his hand in preparation for another attack by his giant phoenix. Before he could do so, Shunsui suddenly dived into the flames again. Surrounding himself with a flame-proof Kido barrier, Shunsui stabbed both his released swords into the ground, before calling out "Bankai!"

From out of the twin swords a black miasma appeared that quickly engulfed and smothered the surrounding flames, before expanding outwards to cover the entire courtyard. Within seconds the miasma formed and solidified into a giant cube that completely enclosed not only the three combatants, but even the giant flame phoenix that was Suzaku's Bankai.

"What…what is this thing?" asked an incredulous Suzaku. He stood frozen in astonishment for a moment as he tried to get his bearings. Not only had the flames created by the phoenix disappeared, even the courtyard they had been standing in a moment ago was gone. Now, Suzaku, Shunsui and Shinji were trapped in a black void like dimension that seemed to extend outwards in all directions endlessly.

"Surprised Suzaku? I don't think I've ever showed you my Bankai," said Shunsui with a smile. "So it is little wonder that you about what has just happened. My Bankai, _Katen Kyokotsu_, _Benzaiten Denkaku_, turns an entire space like this courtyard in a separate realm, and causes everyone who is trapped inside to play a game of my Zanpakuto's here, my Zanpakuto dictates all the rules, and everyone including me has to abide by them. Today she has happened to pick my favourite game of the bunch, _Ketto Oni_."

Suzaku gasped as bright colorful lights suddenly appeared on the floor. The lights created a virtual battlefield, with the names of all three of them marked in large square boxes along with their respective Zanpakutos. Next to each person's name were a set of numerical figures, with each set containing two four figure numbers separated by a dash.

"Heh, this is great Kyoraku-san. It's been a long time since I've seen you play this game," said Shinji. "You taught me how to play this."

"The two of you know how to play this game? That's bullshit!" Suzaku swore at Shunsui and Shinji.

"Don't worry Suzaku, I will teach you the rules to make this game fair," explained Shunsui. "This game has several unique features. The first is that it's turn based. None of us can attack or move at all unless it is our turn. Who goes first is randomly determined by my Zanpakuto. Each player can make one offensive and defensive move per turn, or they may choose to end their turn early. The numbers you see near our feet represent the life points each player has. Any attack that penetrates a player's defences burns away their life points. Once a player's life points reaches zero, they will die."

"This is completely bogus! I refuse to replay this ridiculous game!" yelled Suzaku in a rage. The fiery red head tried to burn his way out with his Bankai, but he found he couldn't even summon his sword.

"Now, now Suzaku, I told you before that in this realm, everyone must play by my Zanpakuto's rules, including me. No one can escape this place until the game has ended. Any person who tries to quit the game counts as having lost and therefore they do will die."

"Grrrr…" Suzaku could barely keep his simmering rage in check as he resigned himself to playing Shunsui's game.

"Alright, let's start the game shall we?" Shunsui gave a signal to his Zanpakuto indicating the game could commence. A second later the square under Shinji's feet lit up.

"Looks like I go first," said Shinji. The 5th Division captain chose to cast an invisible barrier around himself and Shunsui. He then proceeded to end his turn. The next square to light up was Suzaku's.

"Finally I get to end this farce!" shouted Suzaku with relish. "Go _Dai Hou-oh_, _Phoenix Enko_ _Iki_!" His giant flame phoenix opened its mouth and breathed a stream of super intense flames at Shunsui and Shinji. To the Royal Guard's astonishment, the flames were repelled by the invisible barrier that Shinji had cast in his turn.

"Tough luck Suzaku-san," Shinji grinned.

"Damn it!" swore Suzaku. With a click of his fingers he caused a large wall of flames to appear between himself and his opponents. "Fine then, if I can't attack you I'll simply make myself invulnerable to your attacks!" Shunsui shook his head and chuckled.

"Suzaku, I think you have forgotten the rules of this game already," said Shunsui. "_Bushogoma_." The 8th Division captain spun both his blades around in opposite directions, creating a large gust of wind that blew away all of the flames making up the flame wall that was dividing the battlefield.

"Impossible!" exclaimed Suzaku in disbelief. "There is no way my flames could have been extinguished by such puny gusts of wind!"

"In actual combat perhaps, but I told you before, the ordinary laws of physics don't apply inside this game," explained Shunsui. Before Suzaku could vent his anger the square underneath Shinji's feet lit up.

"This is the end Suzaku-san," said Shinji. He held his released Zanpakuto out in front of his body before slamming it into the ground. Then he spoke the word "Bankai". His Zanpakuto disappeared into the ground. A few moments later a set of towering walls of glass rose up from the ground and quickly surrounded Suzaku in all directions. Within seconds the Royal Guard was imprisoned inside an enormous class cubicle over fifty feet high.

"What, what is it?" asked Suzaku. He looked around in a panic, trying to find a way out. Everywhere he looked he saw a vast hall of mirrors stretching out in all directions into infinity. To add to his insult, leering faces of Shinji suddenly appeared upon all of the mirrors.

"Hello, are you enjoying the show Suzaku-san? You are now inside my Bankai, _Maboroshi Sakanade_'s ability, _Hiroma no Kagami_," explained a grinning Shinji. "Normally it would have been impossible to trap someone of your caliber inside there, but the mechanics of Kyoraku-san's Bankai make create the perfect environment for it. Thanks to you inability to move, I have succeeded in imprisoning you inside a miniature pocket dimension. Escape is now impossible for you."

"Do you seriously think you've got me trapped inside this place? Don't kid yourself boy!" shouted an enraged Suzaku to the myriad faces of Shinji. As his square lit up the Royal Guard summoned his sealed blade to his hand and tried to break open the glass walls with his sword. To his dismay his sword had no effect on the glass.

"It is pointless. You cannot destroy the walls from the inside," said Shinji.

"We'll see about that!" Suzaku slashed at the same wall several times again, but to no avail. Furthermore, a few seconds after he finished attacking, several large gashes suddenly appeared all over Suzaku's body.

"WHAT THE-?" A shocked Suzaku examined his body and was horrified to find he was actually bleeding from apparently self-inflicted cuts.

"Aha, I forgot to tell you one key feature of _Hiroma no Kagami_," laughed Shinji. "It is an absolute beauty. I call it _Gyakukaiten_. It causes the opponent to be inflicted with the same damage they cause to these walls. All you've managed to do is to harm yourself, Suzaku-san." "Are you telling me I've fallen victim to another stupid area of affect Bankai?" Already seething with anger at having been forced to play Shunsui's ridiculous game, Suzaku's body was now burning with rage.

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" The fiery Royal Guard summoned the full power of his Bankai and bathed the entire glass cubicle in smoldering flames. "I will melt these puny little glass walls into nothingness!"

"Heh, heh, good luck with that," Shinji chuckled. A few seconds later he and Shunsui heard screams of agony as Suzaku's body was burnt to a crisp by his own flames.

Knowing that the game was over, Shunsui and Shinji ended their Bankai's abilities, causing the shadowy game world and the glass cubicle to disappear. As they returned to the outside world, the two captains inspected the charred body that had been Suzaku.

"Poor Suzaku. I never would have thought he would kill himself. I guess playing with fire is really dangerous," remarked Shunsui.

"Should we head back to the Senzaikyu?" asked Shinji. Shunsui nodded. The two captains turned around and headed for the White Tower. As they did so, they suddenly felt an intense explosion of flames behind them.

"It can't be!" exclaimed Shinji. He and Shunsui watched on in astonishment as a towering column of fire slowly shrunk down and solidified into a human form. After a momentarily flash of light, the figure of Suzaku appeared in front of the two captains. The Royal Guard's face and appearance was still recognizable, but his body was now entirely made up of intense flames. As he advanced, each of his steps caused the ground to melt beneath him.

"I never thought I'd have to resort to this," said Suzaku. "My final, ultimate trump card, _Phoenix_ _Saisei_. In this time, I am unkillable. Should I be harmed by any attack my body will regenerate in an instant, and in the event someone manages to kill me again, I will simply rise from the ashes. Still, the fact that the two of you actually succeeded in killing me once is an affront that I cannot tolerate!"

Shunsui and Shinji flinched as the heat from the flames rising from Suzaku's body started burning the air around them. As the Royal Guard advanced towards them, their Shihakusho started catching fire. The two captains hastily tore off their upper body's clothes and threw them away, and watched as their garments were turned to ashes within seconds.

"This is not good," said Shunsui. "We'll be toast if we get hit by those flames."

"What shall we do Kyoraku-san?" asked Shinji. Shunsui pondered for a moment.

"I have an idea, but I'll need time to pull it off. Try to distract him for as long as possible. I know your Bankai has one other special ability." Shinji nodded; he knew what Shunsui was referring to.

"You'd better hurry. I'd don't know how long I can keep it up for." Shinji watched as Shunsui's body merged into the ground. He stared at Suzaku and took a deep breath.

"All right, here goes nothing," said Shinji. He summoned his Bankai again and this time used its other ability, _Shinkiro Genjutsu_, to create a vast field of illusionary images all around the destroyed 8th Division courtyard. Suzaku blanched when he suddenly saw hundreds of figures of Shinji appear all around him.

"What is this, some sort of illusion? What kind of game are you trying to pull?" asked Suzaku. "And where is Shunsui? Did he decide to flee like the coward he is?"

Shinji said nothing. He slowly backed away from Suzaku, taking care to spread out his reiatsu so that the Royal Guard could not locate his real body.

"I know what you are trying to do, brat. You're hiding your body amongst all of these illusions in order to stall for time, while you wait for that bastard Shunsui to do something. What a cowardly act. I hate cowards who use games and tricks to fight. You want to know what I do with cowards? I burn them to ashes!"

Suzaku intensified the flames coming from his body, to the point where the entire courtyard started to melt from the sheer intensity of the radiant heat. The thousands of embers that had landed on the ground and ignited soon merged together, creating a towering inferno of flames that completely surrounded the courtyard, giving Shinji no means of escape.

"Shit, looks like my illusion's going to disappear any moment now," Shinji said to himself. "Whatever you're up to Kyoraku-san, you better do it fast!"

Just as Shinji's illusion disappeared, causing his true body to be revealed, something inside of Suzaku's body caused him to freeze. The Royal Guard's body suddenly reverted to its normal form and he fell onto his knees and clutched his chest.

"What the fuck is happening to me?" A frightened Suzaku inspected his body and was horrified to discover he no longer possessed any spiritual pressure. His Zanpakuto returned to its sealed form before shattering into pieces. To add to Suzaku's insult, Shunsui suddenly appeared from the ground beside Shinji with a smug smile on his face.

"SHUNSUI! I know you did something to me!" screamed Suzaku at the top of his lungs.

"You're right, I did do something to you. I used my Bankai's _Kugutsu Oni_ ability to enter your inner world and destroy your Zanpakuto, along with your soul chain and soul booster," said Shunsui. "Your Shinigami powers and reiatsu are now all gone.?"

As Suzaku finally grasped what had happened to him, the hatred and rage he had felt towards Shunsui was fully unleashed and the fiery Royal Guard lost all semblance of his sanity.

"I HATE YOU SHUNSUI! I can never forgive you for what you have done to me!" shouted a mad Suzaku. "Why why is it that you were always superior to me? You always won all the awards and adoration at the Academy, and you became a captain before I did! And worst of all, my old man always regarded you as his favourite son and pupil whilst I, his true son, never received any of his affection! I bet when the time comes for him to step down as Captain Commander, you would be designated successor! I cannot stand it! I cannot be Captain Commander, then NO ONE WILL! I shall help Tsukuyomi Shinno to destroy this world!"

A powerless and insane Suzaku ran past Shunsui and Shinji and headed for the Senzaikyu. Both captains tried to stop him, but they suddenly fell onto their knees in exhaustion as they realized they had run out of spirit energy.

"Shit, looks like we couldn't stop him," said Shunsui.

"Well, it's a good thing we managed to escape with our lives," said Shinji.

* * *

Comments

This chapter marks the last of the Shitenno Battles. The title of this chapter reflects how both Shunsui and Suzaku were like the successors to Yamamoto. This chapter marks the final debut of Shunsui and Shinji's Bankais.

*Dai Hou-oh(大鳳凰): Means "Great Feng Huang" in Japanese. This is the name of Suzaku's Zanpakuto. The Feng Huang is the mythological East Asian bird that is the equivalent of the Western Phoenix. In terms of ability Suzaku's Dai Hou-oh is pretty much similar to Yamamoto's Ryujin Jakka except for size and scale. Prior to this chapter he was already demonstrated one of his Zanpakuto's techniques in the form of Phoenix Enko Suto (Phoenix Flame Strike).

*Phoenix Enko Funka(炎光噴火): Means "Phoenix Flame Eruption" in Japanese. This one of the abilities of Suzaku's Dai Hou-oh.

*Phoenix Enko Hane(炎光羽): Means "Phoenix Flame Wing" in Japanese. This is another one of the abilities of Suzaku's Dai Hou-oh.

*Kendo Oni(剣道鬼): Means "Way of the Sword Demon" in Japanese. This is another one of Katen Kyokotsu's games that Shunsui can access, bringing the total number of games his Zanpakuto in its Shikai state has to 6. The rules of the game are pretty straightforward; both combatants inside a 'zone of infuence' cannot use any Zanpakuto abilities or Kido.

*Fumetsu Dai Hou-oh(不滅大鳳凰): Means "Immortal Great Feng Huang" in Japanese. This is the name of Suzaku's Bankai. Its form is identical to the released form of the Sokyoku-i.e. a giant flame phoenix.

*Phoenix Enko Iki(炎光息): Means "Phoenix Flame Breath". This is one of the abilities of Suzaku's Bankai. Like its name suggests it involves the phoenix breathing a column of flames from its mouth.

*Benzaiten Denkaku(弁才天殿閣): Means "Benzaiten's Palace" in Japanese. This is the name of Shunsui's Bankai. Benzaiten, or Benten, is one of the Shikifukujin, or Seven Gods of Luck in Shinto, and she is the god of wealth, music, eloquence and water. I chose this name for Shunsui's Bankai because it suits the nature of his Bankai's ability, which allows him to expand the effect of his games to cover a wide area and trap multiple people inside a pocket dimension (just like Yukio's Fullbring except better).

*Ketto Oni(決闘者鬼): Means "Duelist Demon" in Japanese. This is one of the games Shunsui can play in his Bankai state. Both its name and the nature of the game are a parody of the shadow game from Yugioh, as well as old school JRPG style battles in general.

*Maboroshi Sakanade(幻逆撫で): Means "Illusionary Counter-Stroke" in Japanese. This is Shinji's Bankai. As its name suggests Shinji's Bankai is an extensionn of the illusionary and reversing abilities of his Shikai.

*Hiroma no Kagami(ひろまの鏡): Means "Hall of Mirrors" in Japanese. The main ability of Shinji's Bankai. It traps an opponent inside a pocket dimension of mirrors for an eternity. Any attacks an enemy makes against the mirrors is instantly reflected back on them. This effect is known as Gyakukaiten(逆回転)-"Counter" in Japanese.

*Phoenix Saisei(再生): Means "Phoenix Rebirth" in Japanese. The ultimate ability of Suzaku's Bankai, it basically represents the classic ability of all phoenixs to die and then resurrect from their own ashes. With this ability Suzaku cannot be killed through normal means as he can just revive himself from his own corpse.

*Shinkiro Genjutsu(蜃気楼幻術): Means "Mirage Illusion" in Japanese: This is the second ability of Shinji's Bankai. It allows him to create illusions on a large scale that affect a whole number of people over a wide area.

*Kugutsu Oni(傀儡鬼): Means "Puppet Demon" in Japanese. This is another ability of Shunsui's Bankai. It is perhaps the sneakiest of the game he can play, since he can literally enter an opponent's mind and destroy their inner world and thus completely destroying their spiritual powers. However this game only really works against an unsuspecting enemy, which is why Shunsui needed Shinji to distract Suzaku.


	65. Chapter 65: The Deathberry Returns

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

Wow I am astonished at how many reviews I've gotten since the last chapter. A big thanks to long time regulars **Ghost2113, Eradona, Shadow knight1121, HokkaidoMaster, Justice League Expansion**, as well lots of other new readers who sent in reviews!

I have no doubt that this is the chapter everyone has been waiting for. The title chapter makes it obvious who is making his triumphant return.:)

* * *

Chapter 65: The Deathberry Returns

"Ugh, I've used up too much of my reiatsu maintaining my Bankai," said Shunsui.

"Same here." With wounds they had sustained from having been severely burnt by Suzaku's fire finally having their effect, neither Shinji nor Shunsui could maintain their consciousness any longer. The two captains collapsed onto their backs and fainted. As a result, the final two pillars holding the _Shin'yuu Kanmon_ barrier around the Senzaikyu faded, exposing the White Tower to direct attack.

* * *

The significance of this event was not lost on the remaining forces of the Gotei 13 still fighting defending Seireitei from the invading army of hollows. The disappearance of the barrier surrounding the Senzaikyu caused a significant shift in the state of the fronts defending the four outer gates.

At the Eastern Blue Stream Gate, Yoruichi, Kukaku, Ganju and the giant gatekeepers were still having their hands full with dozens of Gillians and thousands of lesser hollows. Jidanbo and the other gatekeepers used their clubs to slam several Gillians backwards, allowing Kukaku to finish them off with a full charged _Raikoho_ spell. At the ground level Ganju continuously spammed his exploding fire bombs at countless minor hollows, killing multiple hollows each time. He was assisted by Yoruichi, who, despite having already exhausted a reiatsu in an all out battle once already, continued using _Shunko_ to slaughter dozens of hollows each time.

"Oh no, the _Shin'yuu Kanmon_ is down," said Yoruichi with concern. She stopped using _Shunko_ for a moment and pondered whether or not to continue fighting off the hollows or retreating to defend the Senzaikyu.

"Yoruichi, leave the gate to us!" shouted Kukaku from the top of Jidanbo's back. "There aren't a lot of hollows let to deal with anyway! You should go back to defend the Senzaikyu!"

"Okay!" Yoruichi nodded. Kukaku's words finally convinced her to head back.

* * *

The same situation was happening at the Northern Black Ridge Gate where the Army Corps led by the 9th Division Captain Kensei, having slaughtered all of the hollows attacking the gate, sensed that the Senzaikyu was exposed to attack with the _Shin'yuu Kanmon_ barrier now gone.

"Rose, Love, we've dealt with all the shit here," said Kensei. "Let's take our men and scram it back to the central tower."

"You got it," said Love. The captains of the 3rd, 7th and 9th Divisions ordered all of their forces to retreat towards the Senzaikyu.

* * *

At the same moment, outside the entrance to the Central 46 chambers, Urahara Kisuke and the other captains and lieutenants who had been orchestrating the evacuation of the civilians sensed the disappearance of the _Shin'yuu Kanmon_ and the approach of an enormous spiritual pressure.

"Looks like Azrael is finally making his move now that the barrier's down," said Urahara. He and the other captains also sensed the movement of the four loyalist Royal Guards towards the base of the Senzaikyu.

"It appears my grandfather and his comrades are about to fight him," commented Byakuya.

"Should we assist them?" asked Sui Feng. "I know they're the only ones who can fight against Azrael but with the Captain Commander Yamamoto and Commander Hideyoshi down…" The other captains and lieutenants all pondered whether to join in the fight against Azrael, knowing that none of them stood a chance.

* * *

The thoughts of every soul in Seireitei were focused upon the advance of a single man as he strolled leisurely towards the stairs at the base of the Senzaikyu.

"Finally they've got the barrier down," said Azrael with a tone of relief. The man who was once known as Prince Tsukuyomi had been disappointed at the failure of his servants the Shitenno to bring down the barrier surrounding the Senzaikyu promptly. Over the course of the last hour he to content himself with reiatsu crushing every single hapless Shinigami or Onmitsukidou officer he came across.

"Father, I sense four large spiritual pressures approaching," said Aizen Sousuke. The former Captain of the 5th Division, arch traitor and capital prisoner had calmly followed behind his father and master. If he was secretly delighted by the fact that Soul Society was crumbling around him as they walked, Aizen expressed no outward sign of it to his master. The only expression he had on his face was one of curiosity and amusement.

Azrael looked up as he neared the flight of steps at the base of the Senzaikyu.

"You are right my son. It appears that my brother's final guardians are about to make their last stand," said Azrael. The dark prince watched as four figures of immense power appeared at the top of the flight of steps. The four loyalist Royal Guards, Shihouin Ranjana, Hikifune Kirio, Kuchiki Ginrei, and Toujou Kenpachi, all had their Zanpakutos drawn and were ready to defend the last bastion of Seireitei with their last breath.

"Tsukuyomi, you have some nerve to show your face here again after you have done," said Ranjana.

"We'll never forgive you for massacring the Royal Family!" exclaimed Hikifune.

"If only we knew the truth sooner, we could have stopped you from killing Isshin," said Ginrei.

"You are not getting past these stairs unless you step over our dead bodies," declared Toujou. Azrael was amused by the four Royal Guards' comments.

"You have all made some bold statements guardians of my brother Susano-o," said Azrael. "However, they are all vain threats before me. Your beloved Commander is already dead, and the king you serve is nothing but a living corpse sitting on an empty throne. What point is there in fighting against me? If you allow me to pass through without resistance, I shall spare your lives until the world ends. Even better, if you swear your allegiance to me, I may even take you as my personal guardians in the new world I will create."  
"We aren't fooled by your words Tsukuyomi!" snarled Ranjana. "We know you have no intention to sparing us after what you did to Hideyoshi-sama!"

"We would rather die than sell away our pride and honour," said Ginrei.

"What a shame." Azrael shook his head and sighed. "I made a reasonable offer and yet you all refused. Very well then, I shall make you all suffer the most painful deaths imaginable."

Just as Azrael was about to make his move, he suddenly heard someone running towards him from behind. He turned around and saw it was Suzaku. His Shihakusho and haori were all torn and scratched, and he himself was covered with cuts and burns. Azrael could sense no spiritual pressure from him.

"Tsukuyomi-dono!" shouted and anxious Suzaku. The last of the Shitenno fell onto his knees and groveled at his master's knees.

"So you are still alive Suzaku," said Azrael.

"Yes Tsukuyomi-dono. I have defeated Kyoraku Shunsui and Hirako Shinji and have caused the _Shin'yuu Kanmon_ to disappear as planned." Suzaku raised his head and Azrael saw the face of a pitiful beggar rather than a triumphant warrior.

"I am happy that you managed to accomplish your task Suzaku. However, you and the others took far too long to do so."

"I am sorry for my tardiness Tsukuyomi-dono. I promise next time it won't happen again." Azrael nodded and reached out his left hand to Suzaku. Suzaku was so happy at having been forgiven that he eagerly grabbed Azrael's hand. As soon as he did so, Azrael grinned in a sinister fashion.

"It is unfortunate but I am afraid you are no longer needed Suzaku," said Azrael.

"Huh, what do you mean Tsukuyomi-dono?" Before Suzaku could react Azrael suddenly yanked him in the air. Then Azrael thrust his right hand right through Suzaku's chest, much to the horror of the other Royal Guards.

"Tsukuyomi-dono….!" A weak and dying Suzaku stared at his master in disbelief.

"You have been a loyal and faithful servant Suzaku, but I do not need a powerless underling who can do nothing but grovel at my feet. Farewell." Before Suzaku could even scream out his soul was suddenly sucked out of his body. His eyes became vacant and soon rolled up into his head. Azrael retracted his right hand and let Suzaku fall to the grown. Seconds later the last of the Shitenno disintegrated into nothingness. Azrael then turned his attention to the surviving four Royal Guards, who were horrified and disgusted at what they saw.

"You monster!" shouted Hikifune. "Why did you have to kill him like that?"

"Do you have a problem with my methods? Or do you all still have feelings for a former nakama who betrayed you?" asked Azrael.

"Suzaku may have been a traitor, but he deserved an honourable death," said Toujou.

"You have killed far too many people Tsukuyomi," Ginrei pointed his sword at the fallen prince. "On our pride as Guardians of the Reioh we will stop you!"

At this moment, Urahara along with several other captains and lieutenants, as well as Yoruichi, all appeared beside the four Royal Guards.

"You guys!" exclaimed Ranjana in surprise.

"I hope we weren't too late," said Urahara. "We've all decided to aid you in the battle." The four Royal Guards contemplated the Shinigami standing alongside them for a moment. Not so long ago the two groups had been enemies, but now each of the Royal Guards saw someone close to them that they couldn't bear to lose.

"I am sorry Kisuke but this is our fight," said Hikifune.

"We cannot fight with our full power if we have to worry about your safety," said Ranjana.

"But dad…!" Yoruichi tried to protest, but she was restrained by Urahara, who nodded in understanding.

"Alright, we'll stay back and allow you guys to fight Tsukuyomi by yourselves. However, we'll step in if his son Aizen intervenes," said Urahara. The 12th Division captain directed his comrades to jump onto the first set of walls making up the base of the Senzaikyu.

"Sousuke-kun, would you mind stepping back?" asked Azrael. "It will not take long for me to dispose of my brother's servants."

"Of course, father," Aizen bowed. He jumped onto one of the side walls overlooking the courtyard at the bottom of the flight of stairs. With the area clear the battle between the Royal Guards and Azrael could finally begin.

"Tsukuyomi is immensely powerful. We cannot afford to hold back!" exclaimed Ginrei. His fellow Royal Guards knew what he meant. All four of them immediately went into their Bankai _Keshin_ states, unleashing four enormous columns of reiatsu that shot up high into the sky. The spiritual pressure each of the Royal Guards emitted was so great that every single Shinigami observing the battle, including Urahara and Aizen, was forced to their knees.

"_Keshin_ eh? Are all of you prepared to throw away your spiritual powers so willingly?" asked Azrael.

"If it means defeating you utterly, we would all gladly forfeit out powers," said Toujou. He and the other Royal Guards had all merged with their Zanpakutos, with their bodies transforming into forms made of pure spiritual energy. Ranjana now resembled a humanoid form of a golden Buddha, Hikifune's body was covered with black spiritual threads, Ginrei's body was made of diamonds, while Toujou's right arm had fused with his Shikai blade.

"What a truly magnificent sight," commented Azrael. "You truly are Soul Society's greatest defenders. Even Hideyoshi himself may not be a match for the four of you together."

"Thanks for the praise Tsukuyomi, but the time for talk is over!" shouted Ranjana. The former head of the Shihouin clan jumped into the air from the top of the stairs and clenched his right hand into a fist.

"_Daibutsu no Ken_!" Ranjana punched with his right fist, causing a giant golden fist of the Buddha to smash down upon Azrael's head. The impact vaporized an incredible amount of solid rock in an instant, carving a crater some fifty metres wide and twenty metres deep, and threw up a cloud of dust over five hundred metres into the air. Before the dust cloud could settle Hikifune leaped into the air and pointed her right index finger at Azrael's silhouette.

"_Aku Messatsu no Kousen_!" shouted Hikifune. A bright lance of purple spirit energy shot out of her finger and pierced the dust cloud before drilling a hole over a hundred metres into the ground.

"Did my beam get him?" asked Hikifune. She wanted everyone to wait for the dust cloud to subside but Toujou shoved her aside and raised his sword arm above his head.

"Out of the way Kirio-san! This is to make sure he is dead!" shouted Toujou. "_Kami Tsurugi_!" As the first Kenpachi slashed down with his right arm, a huge double bladed nodachi over a hundred metres long appeared and sliced right through the ground, creating a giant trench nearly five hundred metres deep that spanned almost half of Seireitei. The ground on both sides of the trench were uplifted by several metres, causing the surroundings to rumble.

"What an intense battle," said Renji in awe. He and the other lieutenants could barely withstand the force of the spiritual pressures that the Royal Guards were giving off.

"I will be the one to finish Tsukuyomi," Ginrei declared. The former head of the Kuchiki clan jumped into the air and raised his right arm above his head.

"_Diamond Nagareboshi_!" As soon as Ginrei lowered his right arm everyone in the vicinity looked up to the sky, as a gargantuan chunk of solid diamond over fifty metres wide fell towards the ground at an incredible speed. The four Royal Guards, the other Shinigami and Aizen all quickly jumped to higher ground just as the diamond rock hit. The impact with the ground caused a titanic explosion that destroyed a large portion of the Senzaikyu's base, and created a crater over five hundred metres across and a hundred metres deep. Shockwaves from the impact rippled throughout Seireitei, leveling any of the buildings that had managed to withstand Hideyoshi's earlier suicidal explosion. Finally, the explosion created enormous gust of winds that nearly blew all of the weaker Shinigami into the air.

When the effects of the impact finally wore off, the combatants and the spectators in the vicinity all examined the centre of the crater wondering whether anyone could have possibly survived an explosion of such magnitude.

"Did we manage to get him?" asked Toujou.

"I don't know. I cannot sense his reiatsu, so who knows if he is still alive and breathing," replied Ginrei.

"Look, I can see a figure down there!" exclaimed Hikifune. She pointed to a shadowy figure standing in the middle of the crater. As the dust and smoke cleared the figure of Azrael appeared. The dark prince had not received a single scratch on his body, nor did he even seem fazed by the incredible barrage of attacks.

"Impossible! How could he be completely unharmed by our most powerful abilities?" asked Ranjana in dismay.

"He hasn't even moved an inch from where he is standing," Ginrei pointed out.

"All of you seem worried," smiled Azrael as he stared up at the Royal Guards. "Can you not comprehend what you are seeing? Let me make things simpler for you to understand: all of your attacks did not even scratch me. Do you know why? It is because I stand on a far greater plane of existence. None of you can possibly comprehend my power."

"What is he talking about?" asked Sui Feng. She, Byakuya and Kenpachi were barely able to follow what was going on between Azrael and the Royal Guards. Urahara and Yoruichi both knew what Azrael was referring to.

"So Azrael is a transcendent being just like Aizen was," said Yoruichi. Urahara nodded. He knew ever since watching Isshin's last stand that only a being who stood on the same level would have a chance at defeating Azrael. He sighed deeply, knowing the inevitable outcome of this battle.

"I bet is just bluffing. How about we all try to attack him together?" asked Hikifune.

"Good idea. Let's do it," nodded Toujou. The Four Royal Guards raised their reiatsu to their highest levels, causing each of their bodies to be bathed in incandescent light. Then in perfect unison they jumped into the air and descended upon Azrael. The dark prince watched them approach with an arrogant and smug smile on his face. When the four of them got within an arm's length of him, Azrael spoke the words "so small."

In an instant four spirit tendrils appeared out of Azrael's body and pierced all of the Royal Guards in the chest. The Shinigami who were watching gasped in shock and horror as they saw the souls of the Royal Guards get sucked out of their bodies. After a few seconds Azrael retracted the tendrils and the four Royal Guards all collapsed to the ground.

"NOOOO!" screamed Yoruichi as she immediately ran to her father's side. She was followed close behind by Hiyori, Byakuya and Kenpachi, who went to the side of Hikifune, Ginrei and Toujou. The only people who hadn't been surprised at what happened were Urahara and Aizen. Urahara calmly walked towards the fallen Royal Guards and with a glance could tell that their souls had ripped from their bodies. Aizen jumped down from the perch he had been crouching on and appeared at Azrael's side.

"Shall we get going father?" asked Aizen.

"No yet. I must kill all of the Shinigami standing before me first before I proceed to the Heart of Seireitei," said Azrael. The dark prince unsheathed his sword and was about to advance forward when he was suddenly restrained by Aizen.

"There is no need to kill them father. They pose no threat to us. It would be better to leave them alive so that they can watch the end of Soul Society than killing them in a needless fashion."

"I see you still have soft spot for your former nakama, Sousuke."

"It is not affection father, it is just expedience. The sooner we reach the Heart of Seireitei the better." Azrael was still a bit skeptical of Aizen's suggestion but he nevertheless followed his son's advice and sheathed his sword again.

"Very well, I shall spare their lives for your sake. Now come, Sousuke. Let us proceed to the end of existence." Azrael and Aizen walked past the grieving Shinigami without a passing thought and walked up the flight of stairs to the entrance of the Senzaikyu. When they reached the top however their path was suddenly blocked when Rukia appeared in front of them. Azrael immediately recognized her at once, for she was still assuming the form of Princess Tsukino.

"Ah, Tsukino-chan, how delightful it is to see you again," said Azrael slyly.

"Please stop this Tsukuyomi Nii-sama," said Rukia. "What you're intending to do is madness."

"Madness you say? How preposterous. Cannot you see this world is doomed Tsukino-chan? It deserves to be destroyed and reborn under a new guiding hand, my hand."

"I know there are a lot of things wrong with this world Nii-sama, but there are also a lot of things which are good, things which I have come to love and treasure. I won't let you destroy them!" Rukia flared out her reiatsu in a display of power that surprised Aizen, the only other person apart from Azrael himself could sense her presence.

"So do you intend to oppose me Tsukino-chan?" asked Azrael. "I know all about your abilities. It would be problematic for me to fight against you. However, I also know you cannot do a single thing against me." Before Rukia could reach Azrael placed his right hand upon her left cheek and kissed her gently on the lips

"You are dear to me, my beloved sister. I do not wish to harm you if I can." With that Azrael walked past a trembling Rukia still reeling at had happened to her. Aizen also walked past her, but before he caught up to his master he gave Rukia a wink of acknowledgement, as if secretly telling her to _leave things to me_. When the two men had vanished into the depths of Senzaikyu, Rukia fell to her knees and started sobbing.

"I…couldn't do anything to him…" stuttered Rukia. "Even with my awakened powers. I still…can't do anything…by myself…" She was distraught at the thought of letting her true brother and mortal enemy succeed in his plans when she could have stopped him.

"We're doomed…Soul Society is doomed…and so is the real world. No one can stop my brother now..." Rukia smacked her fists into the ground in despair. But just when she thought everything was over, she realized there was one last hope left. The face of Ichigo flashed into her mind, causing her to gasp.

"Of course, how could I have forgotten? Ichigo…I want to see Ichigo again…" sobbed Rukia. "Please…Ichigo, come and save us…ICHIGO!"

* * *

Rukia's cries were seemingly picked up by the winds of fate and transmitted to their intended target, for right at this moment, a figure dressed in a long black Shihakusho coat with a hood over his head stepped onto the crest of the hill overlooking Seireitei.

"I hope we're not too late," said the voice of Kurosaki Ichigo. He lowered the hood that was covering his head, revealing a schlock of orange hair that went past his shoulders and almost covered his eyes. His hair wasn't the only thing that had changed during the six months he had spent inside the Dangai. He had also grown some facial hair around his chin in the same manner as his late father.

His Bankai Shihakusho had changed too. Though its overall design was still the same, it now had a golden belt around his waist, and he now had a proper white inner Kosode under his coat. Both of his hands were covered by sleek looking gloves. The glove on his right hand was black in colour while the glove on his left hand was gold. On both of his Bankai's coat arm sleeves, there were a series of swirling gold currents running up to his shoulders. The currents symbolized the emblem of the Shiba clan. Finally the interior portion of the coattails at the end of Ichigo's Bankai coat was now gold in colour.

"I told you to wait for me Kurosaki," said a voice from behind. Ichigo turned and nodded at Ishida in acknowledgement. The last Quincy had also changed during the six month long training in the Dangai. His hair had now completely resembled style his father Ryuken used to have, being silvery gray in colour and with two bangs hanging down over his glasses. Unlike Ichigo, Ishida's clothes had not changed, other than looking more ragged and disheveled. The only distinctive changes he had was a necklace he wore around his neck. Hanging at the end of the necklace was the _Niebelung_, the powerful blue crystal orb forged by his ancestor. Finally, Ishida's hands were covered by a pair of blue and white _Sanrei Shuto_ gloves.

"What took you so long Ishida?" asked Ichigo.

"Do you realize how hard it is to carry Inoue-san on my back?" Since exiting the Dangai, Ishida had been carrying their friend and nakama Inoue Orihime. She had exhausted all of her spirit energy from maintaining the barrier that prevented the walls of the Dangai from encroaching upon them. Now she lay upon Ishida's back seemingly unconscious.

"How is Inoue? Has she gotten better?" Ichigo's question was met by a solemn shake of the head from Ishida. Both men knew the sacrifice Orihime had made for her friends so that they could get stronger. The two of them turned their attention back to observing the state of Seireitei from their vantage point. From where they stood, Seireitei resembled a completely devastated and war-torn city. All of the walls had crumbled and there was smoke rising from practically every single spot in the city. Large portions of the city resembled a burnt wasteland in the aftermath of a nuclear explosion, while other portions of the city looked as if they had been snap frozen in an ice age. The Senzaikyu and the Sokyoku Hill had both suffered significant damage; there was an enormous crater at the base of the Senzaikyu while the Sokyoku Hill had been virtually split in half.

The destruction suffered by the city paled in comparison however to what was going near the Western White Way Gate. Both Ichigo and Ishida were astounded by the number of hollows and Menos Grande that were pouring through the destroyed gate and entering Seireitei.

"Look at all of those hollows and Menos," said Ichigo.

"I estimate there are about five thousand Gillians and over fifty thousand hollows trying to enter the city," said Ishida. Ichigo closed his eyes for a moment and attempt to sense the spiritual presences of his friends and enemies.

"I can't feel any of the Royal Guards' reiatsu so they must all be dead. But I can still feel Azrael and Aizen; they're heading towards the 1st Division Barracks."

"Then we must hurry and catch up to them Kurosaki!"

"I know that! First we've got to clear the path ahead of us of hollows."

In an instant Ichigo summoned two Zanpakuto blades in both of his hands. In his right hand he held _Tensa Zangetsu_, which now looked drastically different. The blade was far longer than before, over five feet long. The tip of the blade was now curved and there were three jagged protrusions along the sharp edge of the blade. The manji cross guard was now larger than it was before, with the prongs of each manji now curved in shape. Finally the chain hanging from the end of the handle was now attached to Ichigo's glove.

In Ichigo's left hand he held _Tensa Engetsu._ It looked almost identical in size and appearance to _Tensa Zangetsu_ except for the fact that the blade was solid gold in colour and that the cross guard was circular in shape and depicted the Ying and Yang symbol.

"Ishida, I'm gonna kill all of the Menos Grande. You can handle the small fry," said Ichigo.

"Hey why do you always get the good stuff Kurosaki?" asked Ishida. The Quincy grumbled as he laid Orihime down and summoned his spirit bow, _Ginrei Kojaku_. The bow was now completely solid. It resembled a fusion between an English longbow and a medieval crossbow in that it had a huge central frame over seven foot across with a secondary horizontal frame about three feet long running parallel to the middle. In addition there was crossbow like stock that run up Ishida's right forearm. The end of the stock was attached to Ishida's arm by a cord while Ishida held the bow by pistol like handle with a trigger.

Ishida raised his bow into the air and pulled on the central string with his left hand. This caused the central cross-shaped barrel of the bow to charge with spirit particles.

"_Flucht der Valkyrie_," said Ishida. As he released the central string, his bow fired over fifty thousand solid spirit arrows that flew high into the sky before raining down upon the enemies before. Like miniature heat seeking missiles the arrows tracked and hit every single lesser hollow both inside and outside Seireitei. As the arrows hit they detonated in explosions that completely vaporized all of the hollows in an instant.

"Alright the coast is clear Kurosaki!" shouted Ishida.

"Thanks Ishida," Ichigo grinned. He channeled black and gold reiatsu around his body. He willed a pair of golden visors to appear over his eyes before he leaped off the hill and flew towards the destroyed gate. Like a black missile Ichigo streaked through all of the Gillians at hypersonic speeds. He appeared inside White Way Gate a mere second later, having covered the kilometer distance between the hill he had been standing on and the gate in an instant. As Ichigo stood up he watched as all five thousand of the Gillians who had been massing around the gate disintegrated.

A few seconds later Ishida showed up carrying Orihime on his back.

"Hey what took you so long?" asked Ichigo with a grin on his face.

"Shut up, I can't go as fast as you can. Plus I had to carry Inoue on my back," Ishida reminded Ichigo. The two men suddenly turned their attention to a figure that was lying on the ground near the destroyed the gate. On closer inspection Ichigo realized it was the Captain Commander Yamamoto himself. Ichigo lifted the old man and placed him on his back against the wall. Yamamoto opened his eyes, and then gasped, when he saw the face of Ichigo.

"You are…Kurosaki Ichigo?" asked Yamamoto. Ichigo nodded.

"Thank goodness you are here. I cannot sense your reiatsu but I can tell you have become far stronger than any Shinigami imaginable," said Yamamoto.

"Is there still time left old man?"

"There is. The fact that Seireitei is still standing means that Tsukuyomi has not carried out his objective. But you must hurry. I sensed the deaths of the last Royal Guards only a short while ago, so Tsukuyomi must have won past our final defences. You must stop him Kurosaki Ichigo. Only you have the power to defeat Tsukuyomi and end the chain of hatred that threatens to consume Soul Society."

Ichigo's eyes misted a little as he saw Yamamoto fall asleep again.

"I will stop him old man. You can count on that."

* * *

Back at the base of the Senzaikyu, a group of Shinigami captains and lieutenants gathered around the bodies of the four fallen Royal Guards. Despite having their souls taken, the Royal Guards still had a fragment of life force left which allowed them a few last minutes of talk to their loved ones.

"Yoruichi, my beloved daughter, I am sorry I never got to spend quality time with you as a father," said a dying Ranjana.

"You don't need to be sorry father. I am already glad I was able to see you again like this," said Yoruichi. She and Sui Feng both had tears in their eyes. Ranjana smiled happily.

"At last, I can finally face your mother in the afterlife without any regret. I know you will take good care of our clan." With that Ranjana closed his eyes and slumped to the side. His death rattle caused Yoruichi to break down emotionally.

"Don't leave me Hikifune-san!" cried a distraught Hiyori. "There were so many wonderful things I wanted to share with you!"

"I know Hiyori-chan, I would have loved to share them with you too," said Hikifune. "You are a strong girl. You don't need me to find love and happiness. You already have your beloved nakama." Hikifune turned her attention to Urahara, who had a solemn expression on his face.

"Kisuke, please take care of Hiyori for me. She was like a daughter to me."

"I will Kirio. I promise," said Urahara. Hikifune smiled as she closed her eyes for the last time.

"Jii-sama…" said Byakuya. He held his grandfather's cold and lifeless hands tightly.

"Byakuya, I am sorry for hurting your pride and honour deeply."

"No Jii-sama, there is nothing to be sorry for. I am truly grateful for everything you have done for me. I promise that I will uphold the honour and dignity until the day I die."

"I know you will." Ginrei took one last look at his grandson before life finally faded from his body. Byakuya and Renji watched on in sadness as Ginrei's eyes rolled up into his head.

Unlike the other three Royal Guards, Toujou's last moments were not greeted by any love and affection from family members, but only a bow of respect from his successor.

"I don't need you to pay me a final respect Zaraki," coughed Toujou.

"I'm not. This is just me saying farewell to an honourable opponent," said Kenpachi.

"Heh, heh, the two of us are alike in more ways than one. Take care Zaraki, I hope you will many more battles to come." Kenpachi watched as his predecessor closed his eyes for the last time. A few seconds later Toujou's body started disintegrating, as did the other four Royal Guards. When their bodies vanished into nothingness, their friends, family and loved ones were left with deep sense of sorrow and regret.

Just then, an emotionally broken Rukia descended down the steps of the Senzaikyu to find her brother and friends weeping over the deaths of the last Royal Guards. She knew there was nothing she could do to revive them.

At this moment, Azrael and Aizen had reached the front gates of the 1st division Barracks.

"Father, we can access the Heart of Seireitei through a portal inside the Captain Commander's office," said Aizen.

"There is no need for that my son. It is quicker and easier if we simply blow a hole right down to the bottom." A grinning Azrael rose high into the air and pointed his right hand down at the centre of the Senzaikyu. Aizen sensed what his father was about to and quickly jumped into the air, surrounding himself with the most powerful barrier Kido he could think of.

"Let the world burn!" declared Azrael. The dark prince fired a concentrated purple energy blast, a _Fragor_, down at the Senzaikyu. The purple energy blast slammed in the ground and started drilling through countless layers of rock. After about ten seconds the blast hit solid bedrock and detonated. The resulting cataclysmic explosion vaporized trillions of tons of rock in an instant and shot upwards at hypersonic speeds. A few seconds later the entire Senzaikyu and Sokyoku Hill were consumed in a gigantic column of fire over a kilometer wide. All of the Shinigami who were near the vicinity of the explosion were blown in the sky by the resulting shockwave, which was so powerful that it leveled the whole of Seireitei in an instant. Every single building that had been still partially standing was reduced to rubble, before being blown all the way to the remnants of the outer walls.

When the explosion finally subsided, there was now a gaping hole over a kilometer wide that went all the way down into the Heart of Seireitei.

"Let's go Sousuke," said Azrael.

* * *

"Argh!" screamed a terrified Rukia. "I'm going to die!" Just as she and her fellow Shinigami were about to be blown out of the city, a force field made out of solid black spirit particles appeared out of nowhere and stopped their flight. The force field was large enough to completely encompass the circumference of Seireitei and cover about two hundred metres of the sky. As Rukia hit the force field her body bounced backwards and started falling to the ground. Before she hit the ground two large arms suddenly wrapped around her body. She gasped in astonishment as she saw the rest of her comrades land upon a large net made entirely of spirit particles. Rukia initially tried to break free of the arms to tend to her friends but then a single voice made all of her worries go away.

"They're all fine Rukia." As soon as she heard the voice Rukia froze. _That voice…it can't be_. She slowly turned her head around and looked at the person who had saved her. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"I…Ichigo!" shouted Rukia.

"Hey there," said Ichigo with a smile. He gently lowered her down to the ground and let go of her. Without warning Rukia suddenly hugged _her _arms around him and kissed him passionately in the lips. Ichigo was initially surprised, but then he responded to Rukia's display of affection by kissing her back. When they finally parted lips the two close friends were blushing at each other.

"I've missed you so much. It sounds like an eternity since I last saw you," said Rukia,

"I know, I feel the same way." Ichigo looked at Rukia closely and finally noticed something was different about her.

"Rukia, you seem different than before." Then Ichigo realized what had happened to her. "Wait, don't tell me…you got your memories back? Does that mean you're Princess Tsukino now?" Before Ichigo could speak any further Rukia put her hands upon his mouth.

"I could say the same about you Ichigo. You look so strong and handsome now," said Rukia. _You're just like Mamoru-kun_ _now_, she thought.

"Are you done with your reunion Kurosaki? This is no time to celebrate," said Ishida angrily. He trudged across the rubble before finding a flat spot to place Orihime down. Rukia saw this and quickly went to examine Orihime's body. She gasped when she touched Orihime's skin; it felt cold and lifeless and she could feel no spiritual pressure coming from the body.

"What happened to Inoue?" asked Rukia.

"She expended all of her life energy maintaining her barrier against the Koryu current as Kurosaki and I trained inside the Dangai," said Ishida.

"Inoue sacrificed her life so that we could become stronger," said Ichigo.

Rukia initially did not know what to think. Her mind had been so by her former memories and recent events that she had briefly forgotten the bones she shared with friends from the human world. But then she remembered what her erstwhile brother Azrael brother had said to her. _Tsukuyomi Nii-san, I might not be able to fight you, but there is still something I can do to oppose you_. Rukia stood up again and faced Ishida.

"Uryu, I think I may be able to bring Inoue back to life," said Rukia.

"What? You can revive Inoue? How?" asked Ishida.

"Does this have something to do with your powers as Princess Tsukino?" asked Ichigo. Rukia nodded and smiled.

"Ichigo, I finally realize the role I am meant to play in this war. I'll take care of Inoue and everyone else who has survived. I wasn't able to stop Azrael but I know you can."

"Yeah, damn straight I will. You just wait here for Ishida and I to come back. We'll defeat Azrael and save the world." Ichigo turned around and called for Ishida to hurry up and follow him. As the two men walked towards the giant hole in the centre of Seireitei, Rukia stared at Ichigo's back. She could feel warmth and radiance coming from his body.

"Please come back alive, Ichigo," said Rukia. Ichigo waved his right arm, as if he acknowledged her last words.

Ichigo and Ishida reached the gaping hole in the centre of Seireitei and peered down. Ichigo could still sense Azrael's spiritual pressure and he knew the dark prince had already reached the Heart of Seireitei, or was almost near it.

"Did Azrael really drill a hole right down into the centre of the Earth?" asked Ishida.

"Well there is only one way to find out," said Ichigo. Without a moment's thought he jumped down and dived head first into the hall.

"Geez you are always so reckless Kurosaki." Ishida shook his head and sighed for a moment before he followed Ichigo down into the hole.

As the two men travelled down the shaft at hundreds of times the speed of sound, they carried the hopes and dreams of everyone in Soul Society with them. The son of Amaterasu and the reincarnation of Shiba Mamoru, along with the heir of Siegfriend Walsung and the Last Quincy; both of them were determined to end the tragic legacies of their families with their own hands.

* * *

Comments

This chapter marks the long awaited return of Ichigo and Ishida. Their return coincides with the near total destruction of Seireitei and the death of countless major and minor characters.

From this point on the Civil War Arc enters the final phase as Ichigo and Ishida race to stop Azrael from destroying the Spirit Throne.

*Daibutsu no Ken(大仏の拳): Means "Fist of the Buddha" in Japanese. This is Ranjana's ultimate Bankai attack. Like his Bankai it is inspired by Sengoku's Buddha form from One Piece.

*Aku Messatsu no Kousen(悪滅殺光線): Means "Evil Annihilation Ray" in Japanese. This is Hikifune's ultimate Bankai attack. Its basically similar to Freeza's Death Beam from DBZ.

*Kami Tsurugi(神剣): Means "God Sword" in Japanese. This is Toujou's ultimate Bankai attack. Unlike the other Royal Guard's ultimate moves, this attack draws its inspiration from Japanese mythology and not other battle Mangas.

*Diamond Nagareboshi(流れ星): Means "Diamond Meteor" in Japanese. This is Ginrei's ultimate Bankai attack. I have to admit that this move was inspired by Edo Madara's meteor from Naruto, but it is different enough to not be a direct copy.

*Ichigo's new form (Super Dangai Ichigo): I know most readers have been waiting a long time to see Ichigo again, and I made sure his new form didn't dissappoint. His new appearance draws upon both his Post Dangai look as well as the latest design of his Bankai in the manga. The addition of the Shiba clan tattoo is a touch that signals that Ichigo has assumed the mantle as the new head of the clan. The coolest aspect of Ichigo's new form is his ability to summon both Tensa Zangetsu and Tensa Engetsu out of thin air. This ability represents Ichigo's complete mastery over both of his Bankais.

In terms of Ichigo's current power, I would say he is even stronger than his post-Dangai state in the manga. I've decided to call his current form "Super Dangai Ichigo".

*Ishida's new form (Niebelung Ishida): In order for Ishida not to be overshadowed by Ichigo, I made sure that his post-Dangai form is just as powerful as Ichigo's. Ishida's current form is meant to represent Ishida completely the mastering the powers and abilities of his ancestor Siegfried Walsung. With the Niebelung basically equivalent to the Hougyoku, Ishida's current state makes him as powerful as second or third form Hougyoku Aizen.

*Flucht der Valkyrie: Means "Flight of the Valkyries" in German. This is Ishida's ultimate mass AoE attack which allows him to fire over 50,000 homing arrows at once. The name of the attack continues the association Ishida has with the Niebelung saga and Norse mythology.

*Orihime's death: I know a lot of readers will be shocked about this, but as of the end of this chapter, Orihime is definitely dead. She probably won't remain dead permanently, but for story purposes her death is meant to show the sacrifice she made in order to ensure Ichigo and Ishida became strong enough to face Azrael.


	66. Chapter 66: Prodigal Son

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

Thanks to Ghost 2113, Shadow Knight1121, Eradona, HokkaidoMaster and everyone else for sending in reviews! The Royal Guard Arc, and the Afterlife Saga as a whole is fast reaching its ultimate conclusion. This chapter promises to be as mind blowing as the last one. Keen readers will probably guess what the chapter title alludes to^^.

* * *

Chapter 66: Prodigal Son

As Ichigo and Ishida flew down the gaping shaft towards the Heart of Seireitei at incredible speeds, their great enemy, Lord Azrael and his son, Aizen Sousuke, were already there. The dark prince stood on the edge of the lake of pure Sekki-seki before him and gazed towards the enormous sphere hovering at the centre.

"The Heart of Seireitei. For an eternity I have dreamed of returning to this place," said Azrael. "Now that dream will turn into reality."

"It appears Commander Hideyoshi and the other Royal Guards were kind enough to repair the bridge before they left," said Aizen. He pointed at the large walkway over two kilometres in length that spanned the Sekki-seki lake and connected the small island in the centre of the lake with the mainland.

"How thoughtful of them of leaving me a parting gift," said Azrael in amusement. "Then again, a small body of water like this is hardly a hindrance." In one giant leap the dark prince jumped to the island in the middle of the lake without even needing to walk across the bridge. His son Aizen followed suit and now the two evil men gazed at the sphere of pure energy that represented the gateway into the King's Realm. Hovering just below the sphere was a shining golden key. As soon as he saw it Azrael's eyes lit up in ecstasy.

"The Ouken…the object of my desire that I have seeking for the last five hundred years. I can feel it in my hands already!" A manic Azrael reached his right hand out as he walked towards the control panel underneath the golden key. Before he reached it his son Aizen suddenly walked past his and held out his hand.

"Wait father, let me get the Ouken for you," said Aizen.

"Can I not get the Ouken myself Sousuke?" asked Azrael. Aizen shook his head.

"There are special Kido enchantments placed upon the Ouken that only the Captain Commanders and the Commanders of the Royal Guards are aware of. They need to be removed before the Ouken can be touched. If they are not, the person who touches the Ouken will have their soul sealed inside the key."

"I take it you know how to undo the enchantments?"

"I do father. My Zanpakuto _Kyoka Suigetsu_ was fortunate enough to find out the incantations for the enchantments from the acting Captain Commander Kyoraku Shunsui." Azrael was still skeptical of Aizen's explanation, but he nevertheless allowed his son to retrieve the Ouken for him. He watched as Aizen walked in front of the control panel and pulled out his Zanpakuto from its sheathe. He held it above his head so that his father Azrael could clearly see it. Then he extended out his left hand. After speaking several silent incantations Aizen was able to summon the Ouken to his hand. Azrael watched with delight as he saw his son's hand grasp around the prized golden key.

"Excellent work Sousuke. Now bring the Ouken to me," said Azrael.

At this moment Aizen hesitated. Instead of immediately handing the key to his father, he took a good look at it for a moment. He remembered the amount of effort and planning he had taken in order to create a replica of the object in his hands and considered it ironic how easily he had obtained the real Ouken simply by following his father. But then Aizen contemplated what it would mean for him to open the King's Realm and allow his father Azrael to enter.

"Father, may I ask you a question?"asked Aizen.

"What is it my son?" an impatient Azrael responded.

"What will you do once we enter the King's Realm and kill your brother Susano-o?"

"Do I really have to state it to you again? I thought you knew by now what my ultimate goal is. Once my corpse of a brother is dead I will naturally destroy the Spirit Throne and thereby usher in the destruction and rebirth of Soul Society."

"I see. You don't intend to rule over Soul Society as the new god then."

"That empty throne has no meaning Sousuke. It would be pointless for me to reign over a world that has no purpose in existing anymore. Now, I have waited long enough. Give me the Ouken." Azrael extended his right hand and calmly waited for Aizen to hand the key over to him. Aizen initially followed his orders and walked in front of his father. However, just as he was about to hand the key over, Aizen suddenly turned around threw the Ouken into the Sekki-seki Lake. Azrael gasped in horror and disbelief as he saw the key drop into the deadly waters of the lake and disintegrate. He then looked at his son in sheer shock and astonishment.

"What have you done Sousuke? Why did you destroy the Ouken?" screamed a furious Azrael. Aizen stared at his father; the expression on his face was no longer that of a complicit follower, but that of a rebellious son.

"I can't allow you to destroy the Spirit Throne father," said Aizen. "I only followed you because I believed we would rule the world together as father and son once you killed the Reioh. But it appears I have misjudged you father. All this time I had been taught by you to believe that I was the one worthy of being the god of Soul Society. You have been lying to me all along haven't you? Was I simply a pawn that you used in order to accomplish your goals?"

Azrael was at first outraged at his son's show of defiance, but after carefully considering Aizen's words the dark prince then started laughing maniacally.

"Of course you were a pawn Sousuke! You, the Royal Guards, the Gotei 13, the rest of Soul Society, and the humans in the living world, they have all been my pawns!" laughed Azrael. "You have been my most loyal servant and brilliant accomplished the tasks I set for you but in the end you too are disposable." Azrael unsheathed his Zanpakuto and glared at his son with murderous intent. "I have no further use for you. Goodbye."

Azrael landed a powerful downward slash at Aizen, splitting his son from his head to his toe. The two halves of Aizen's body split and fell to the ground in almost perfect symmetry. Just as Azrael was prepared to revel in the almost effortless execution of his son, a blade suddenly pierced through his temple out the other side.

"What the-?" croaked a shocked Azrael.

"I can't believe you fell for my trap so easily father," whispered Aizen as he stood behind his father, keeping his sword lodged firmly in Azrael's skull. "That stuff I said about there being an enchantment around the Ouken? It was all a lie. That you actually believed my story gave me the perfect opportunity to place you under _Kanzen Saimin_."

"Sousuke…you bastard…" Azrael spat blood from his mouth.

"I thank you from the bottom of my heart all the wonderful things you have done for me, from giving me life and an identity, to raising me to become a Shinigami of incomparable of power, and finally, in disposing of all the enemies that I had so cruelly denied me victory in my first attempt. You have paved the way for me to take over Soul Society and rebuild it according to how I see fit. Now then, I should say the same words you just said to me. I have no further use for you anymore. Goodbye." Aizen retracted his blade from Azrael's head and then swiftly stabbed his father in the chest twice, completely destroying his father's soul chain and soul booster.

"SOUSUKE!" screamed a dying Azrael. In one last desperate attempt, he lashed out at Aizen with his hands. Before he could touch Aizen his eyes rolled up into his head. Aizen watched without sympathy as his father, the Dark Prince, the former son of Izanagi, and the Lord of all Evil, fell to the ground and died.

"It is over," said Aizen. He turned around and walked away from the King's Realm gate. In his heart he knew the punishment that awaited him when he returned to the surface. The despicable crimes he had committed in the past had already assured him an eternity of torture and confinement.

Before Aizen could even step onto the bridge spanning the Sekki-seki lake however, he felt a tremendous explosion of spiritual pressure behind him. Then he heard a familiar but terrible voice say "Who said it was over?" Aizen turned around and gasped.

"Impossible!" exclaimed a shocked Aizen as he saw the corpse of his father rise up from the ground. His body was bathed in an overwhelming amount of transcendent purple reiatsu so powerful that Aizen struggled just to stay standing.

"Heh, heh, heh, did you really think you could kill me that easily Sousuke?" asked Azrael with a demonic grin on his face. "Did you really think that I, Lord Azrael, the one being that has survived being torn apart by the Kototsu, sent back in time, and successfully escaped from Jigoku, could be killed by the sword of a mere Shinigami? How naïve."

Before Aizen's eyes Azrael underwent a horrifying a transformation. After the gaping holes in his forehead and chest closed up, his body began to shift and change. First two enormous jet black wings over twenty feet across grew out from his back. Then the clothes Azrael had been wearing before suddenly burst apart as his entire body swelled in size and grew extensive muscle mass. His skin was now entirely white in colour except for his arms, the centre of his chest, and the codpiece that covered his crotch, which were black in colour. His eyebrows vanished along with the irises in his eyes, which were now jet black with plain white pupils. His formerly brown hair was now completely black, and the lock of hair over his face, one of the features he had shared with Aizen, disappeared. When his transformation finally finished, he resembled a fallen angel, a transcendent being from the heavens who had been corrupted by the darkness.

"What do you think Sousuke? Doesn't my new form look spectacular? I am now perfect in every aspect imaginable," said Azrael. His voice now had a deep otherworldly feel to it.

Aizen stared at this father's new form in astonishment. Simply looking at Azrael made him recall the transformations he himself had underwent when he fused with the Hougyoku.

"It can't be…you've transcended the limits of Shinigami and hollows father?" asked a stunned Aizen who fell to his knees.

"I have always been a transcendent Sousuke. The ordinary limits of Shinigami, hollows, humans, and even the demons of hell have no meaning to me, for I had already surpassed them all. But still, even a being as powerful as I had a limit. The constraints of mortality limited me to a form that could contain the vast powerful I possessed. But thanks to you Sousuke, I have transcended even those limits and finally become a god."

"But…I thought only the Hougyoku had the power to accomplish such a transformation…"

"Think Sousuke! Who gave you the ability to create the Hougyoku in the first place? It was me! The Hougyoku you possess is nothing more than a mere copy of the power of my Bankai, _Gedo Amatsu_ _Shingetsu_, and its ultimate ability, _Nirvana_! With it I am immortal! Every time I die I will simply be reborn in a new more powerful body, and one that is one step closer to achieving the ultimate divine state!" As Azrael reveled in his new form, despair sank into Aizen's heart. Even if he were to fully master the Hougyoku again and attain the power he had in his final fight with Kurosaki Ichigo, Aizen knew he would still be no match for his father.

"In this state I do not even need the Ouken. I can simply tear apart the bonds between dimensions with my bare hands. But first I shall destroy you utterly for your insubordination, Sousuke," said Azrael. The fallen angel pointed his clawed right hand at his son. With a click of his fingers he caused Aizen to be consumed by raging black flames.

"ARGH!" screamed Aizen in pain as he body was slowly burnt to a crisp by the flames. As he tried in vain to extinguish them he took a wrong step and fell into the Sekki-seki lake. Azrael laughed maniacally, knowing his son was finished.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha! This is the perfect end for you Sousuke! Disappear into nothingness!" laughed Azrael.

Aizen however, was far from dead. As he fell down into the depths of the waters of the Sekki-seki lake, he made a final wish from the bottom of his heart. _If only I had chosen to protect Soul Society with my power instead of trying to destroy it…_

Aizen's wish was apparently heard by the Hougyoku lying dormant in his chest. The black flames covering him were extinguished and his body started to glow a bright yellow in colour. A few seconds later Aizen burst out of the waters of the Sekki-seki much to Azrael's shock and astonishment. _Thank you, Hougyoku_, thought Aizen. He had now assumed the form he had attained after his first death at the hands of his former subordinate Ichimaru Gin, with six butterfly wings sprouting from his back, a hole in his chest, a form fitting white robe covering his body and his Zanpakuto _Kyoka Suigetsu_ fused to his arm. The only thing different from his previous form was that his eyes were still normal in appearance, without the black retina and pupils that Azrael had.

"How did you survive plunging into the Sekki-seki lake Sousuke?" asked Azrael. "And what is with that form?"

"I was saved by the Hougyoku father. The stone answered my prayers and gave me the ability to survive the deadly waters of the lake. It also transformed my body back to the state I attained when I had complete mastery over it," said Aizen.

"Do you intend to fight me in your current form?" Azrael smiled arrogantly as Aizen levitated into the air and pointed his sword at his father.

"I shall defeat you father, and when I do, I will finally put an end to the vicious cycle of evil that you started!" Aizen declared. His statement caused Azrael to shake his head and laugh.

"Ah Sousuke, I always knew you were a failure. You were too soft on your enemies, especially the human son of Shiba Isshin, which is why you were beaten by him. But I never thought that in your heart you would actually join them. What a pity."

Azrael held his sword above his left shoulder, and then, with a swing of his right arm, created a shockwave of air pressure that caused the waters of the Sekki-seki lake to rise up over a hundred metres high all around. Aizen was momentarily distracted by the water, which gave Azrael the opening he needed to attack. In one rapid flash step Azrael flew right in front of Aizen and slashed down at his head. Aizen barely managed to block the attack with his sword, and Azrael's sheer power and speed pushed him back towards the wall of the immense dome that surrounded the Heart of Seireitei.

Aizen tried to push away his father's sword, but Azrael's brute strength was simply too much. Just as he was about to slam against the wall, Aizen resorted to the secret ability of his current Hougyoku fused form: instant teleportation. In a flash of light, Aizen disappeared, leaving behind an image of six white petals. He rematerialized behind Azrael and tried to stab his father in the neck.

"Trying to sneak attack me my son? You are doing it wrong," said Azrael with a smirk on his face. Before Aizen's sword could even touch him Azrael was able block the attack with his sword without even turning around.

"Nrghh…" grunted Aizen as he tried to overpower Azrael and penetrate his guard. Azrael responded with a powerful roundhouse kick that sent Aizen flying backwards for a hundred metres before Aizen was able to stop himself in mid air.

"You should know that you can win against me through physical power alone."

"If physical power won't work then I will simply overpower you with speed!" shouted Aizen. Drawing more power from the Hougyoku, he used his instant transmission ability to create over twenty clones of himself.

"Clones huh?" asked a curious Azrael

"Prepare yourself father. All twenty of us are going to attack you now!" the twenty Aizens all shouted at once. Azrael simply stood where he was as the twenty Aizens charged at him.

"Come on Sousuke, you can do better than this," said Azrael in a mocking voice. The dark prince opened a tear in dimensions underneath his feet and repeatedly thrust his sword through it. An instant later each of Aizen's clones were stabbed through the head and chest by blades that appeared out of nowhere. One by one they vanished until at last only the real Aizen was left.

"Damn you…" Aizen cursed his father.

"No matter how solid a clone is, they will always be weaker than the real one. I thought you were smarter than this Sousuke. Where has the immense intellect I helped you acquire gone?"

Azrael's taunts caused Aizen to lose his composure. He let out a scream before flying towards his father. He lashed out with a powerful horizontal swing that was deflected by Azrael's blade. The force of the swing caused a two hundred metre wide gash to appear along a portion of the dome's walls. Aizen attacked several more times, but each of his strikes was deflected. With his final strike, Aizen swung his sword down at his father's head with all of his strength, but Azrael calmly blocked the strike with his sword.

"Is this the best you can do Sousuke? How pathetic." After saying these words Azrael parried Aizen's sword to one side and then cut his son from the left shoulder all the way down to his waist, causing a torrent of blood to spurt out. Only an instinctive flash step backwards saved Aizen from being cut in half. Despite the Hougyoku regenerating his wounds Aizen was nevertheless severely weakened. He panted heavily as he tried to recover his strength,

"I am extremely disappointed in you my son. Even the Royal Guards and Shiba Isshin performed better against me than you have."

"I'm not finished yet father!" screamed Aizen in rage. He charged a concentrated orb of purple energy in his left hand and fired it at Azrael. The orb flew at supersonic speeds and hit Azrael a second later, triggering a colossal explosion that took the shape of column of fire nearly a kilometer high. Shockwaves from the explosion caused the waters of the Sekki-seki lake to rise up into a mega tsunami over five hundred metres high that crashed against one side of the dome's walls.

As the explosion subsided Aizen took time to recover his energy, as he had poured a large portion of his reiatsu into the _Fragor_ he had fired. _Surely that must have weakened him_, he thought.

To Aizen's horror his father emerged from the explosion without even a scratch or a burn mark. Azrael cackled maniacally as he enjoyed the terrified expression on Aizen's face.

"Didn't I tell you that sheer power won't work against me? That attack just now felt like a tiny pin prick," Azrael gloated.

A desperate Aizen tried to think of anything that would against his father, as Azrael walked through the air towards him. _None of my Kido spells are powerful enough to hurt him, and Kyoka Suigetsu is useless now that he has seen through it_.

"What is the matter Sousuke? Are you all out of options?" asked Azrael as he got within an arm's length distance. At this moment, Aizen finally thought of something that would work. He raised his sword above his head and shouted "Bankai!" His Zanpakuto disappeared from his hand and rematerialized as a small round mirror embossed with the twelve symbols of the Zodiac around its edges.

"_Yata no Kagami_!" shouted Aizen. A piqued Azrael stared at the mirror out curiously, not knowing the mirror's true power. It took only a second for the ability of Aizen's _Yata no Kagami_ to kick in. Before Azrael knew what was happening he was suddenly sucked into the mirror.

"Looks like I win, father," said Aizen with a smile, knowing his father was now trapped inside his inner world for all eternity. A second later however he clutched his chest in agony and coughed up a wad of blood from his mouth. Somehow he felt as if someone had ripped his heart out of his body. The blood soon materialized into the form of Azrael, who hovered over his fallen son with a smug expression. Aizen stared at his father in dismay.

"What…what did you do to me father?" asked Aizen, panting heavily.

"Shouldn't it be obvious my son?" replied Azrael with a grin. "Trying to suck me into your inner world was your greatest mistake. You just gave me an opportunity to destroy your soul chain, soul booster. Your Shinigami powers should be disappearing from you shortly."

Aizen gasped in shock and horror as a hole in his chest started to open. He initially thought this was Azrael's doing, but when he saw the hole was forming around the Hougyoku he realized it was the stone's final defensive mechanism. _I see, you knew something like this would happen Hougyoku_, thought Aizen. Aizen braced himself as his body started transforming in response to the Hougyoku's efforts to keep him alive. He let out a howling scream as his body was consumed by a column of purple spirit energy.

Azrael watched as his son emerged from the column of spirit energy a moment later, completely transformed. The plain white robes Aizen had worn before had disappeared, exposing a muscular white coloured body almost identical to Azrael's current form. Aizen's hands and feet were covered in black fur, with his Zanpakuto fully fusing with his right arm. The six wings that were on his back had grown in size to become similar to a moth's; they were composed of six long tendrils that ended in hollow-like skulls linked by a white membrane with two large eyes at the bottom. The only thing that had no changed about Aizen was his head; unlike the previous time he assumed this form, Aizen still retained his humanity.

"That is a curious transformation, Sousuke," said Azrael. "It resembles my current form in many ways. I did not think you were the type to try copy another person's powers and abilities."

"This form is not a copy of yours father," retorted Aizen. "This is simply me after receiving the full power of the Hougyoku. I have once again attained a state that transcends Shinigami, humans and hollows, and I shall use all of my powers to defeat you!"

With a mental command, Aizen made all six of his wing tendrils extend forward, with the skulls on the end of each tendril opening their mouths. Each hollow-like skull started charging a _Fragor_, a concentrated ball of purple spirit energy, in its mouth. When all six _Fragors_ were fully charged, the six skulls combined their attacks into one _Ultra Fragor_, a gargantuan blast of pure reiatsu that was fired at Azrael from an almost point blank range. The blast completely vaporized a kilometer wide and two hundred metre high section of the Heart of Seireitei, and carved a tunnel over ten kilometres deep into the solid bedrock before dissipating. The waters of the Sekki-seki lake surrounding the portal to the King's Realm drained into the tunnel and within less than a minute the bottom of the Heart of Seireitei was exposed.

"That should have finished him," said Aizen as he panted heavily. He was exhausted after having poured almost all of his remaining spirit energy into the _Ultra Fragor_, but he nevertheless felt a feeling of triumph in his heart. The feeling soon vanished however when Aizen saw the outline of a dark silhouette emerge from the smoke surrounding the enormous tunnel carved out by his final energy blast. As the silhouette became clearer, a familiar yet sinister voice started cackling with glee.

"Heh, heh, heh, did you really think you'd finished me?" Aizen gasped in horror as Azrael emerged from the smoke, completely unharmed. There was not even a scratch on him.

"I, impossible! You're not even hurt at all?" asked an incredulous Aizen.

"Poor Sousuke. In the end all of your efforts resulted in nothing," Azrael taunted his son. "You truly are my greatest failure." Before Aizen could react Azrael suddenly appeared right in front of him. Azrael pierced through Aizen's chest with his right arm, with his bloodied hand coming out the other side.

"This isn't going to finish me off father," croaked Aizen as he coughed up blood from his mouth. "The Hougyoku will heal all of my wounds."

"Not this time, Sousuke." With coldhearted ruthlessness Azrael proceeded to tear Aizen's soul from his body as he retracted his arm. A shocked Aizen could only watch in horror as his soul was sucked into Azrael's hand. A mere moment later, Aizen fell towards the ground and landed on the bridge with a sickening final crunch. As his consciousness faded away, Aizen started wondered if everything he had done and experienced in his entire life was nothing more than a lie…

* * *

_A young boy with shaggy brown hair sat on a rock in the middle of a small town in one of the outlying districts of Rukongai. He had no memory of how he ended up in the town; the only thing he recalled was that he had been wandering the countryside for some time. He knew nothing about himself other than his name, which a nameless voice had whispered in his head: "You are Aizen Sousuke"._

_ He saw many people walk by him. Most people paid no attention to him at all, while a few others were disgusted by his decrepit appearance. A group of town boys in particular tried approaching him, but instead of befriending him they pelted him with rocks and called him a "freak". The young Sousuke could not tolerate the abuse for long as a feeling of anger and rage built up in his heart._

_ "Go away," he said. His words were accompanied by a sharp glare that caused all of the boys attacking him to fall onto their knees. A few seconds later the boys screamed and ran away in fright; Sousuke could hear them shouting out "monster!" Soon they were all gone and he was left by himself. He felt a pang of sadness and regret in his heart at not being able to converse with other children his age, but then the nameless voice whispered in his head again. _

_ "Do not worry about other people Sousuke. They cannot understand you because you are different from them," said the voice. Sousuke tried to heed the voice's advice but he found it almost impossible to do so. The children he had frightened off turned out to be the sons of the most powerful families in the town, and when their parents heard about what happened, a group of angry adults appeared and chased him out of town. Sousuke found himself once again wandering through the vast wilderness of the Rukongai. Tired, hungry and disheveled, the only things that were keeping him going was the voice in his head and the hope that he would find a place where he would feel welcome._

_ As he arrived at the next town, Sousuke heard the screams of people nearby. He ran into the town and was horrified to see numerous townsfolk being attacked and eaten by dozens of monstrous creatures with holes in their chests and terrifying masks covering their faces. A normal child in this situation would have ran for safety, but for some strange reason Sousuke decided to confront the monsters._

_ "What are you doing lad? You'll get eaten!" shouted a nearby man. Sousuke refused to listen. Instead he grabbed a katana that was lying on the ground nearby and ran towards the monsters. The first monster he spotted swung a large tail and swatted him into a nearby building. He slammed against the wall and was almost knocked out. Only sheer willpower alone allowed him to stay conscious as he bled from a nasty wound to his forehead. Despite the overwhelming odds he faced and despite his condition, Sousuke decided to confront the monsters again. As he charged towards the monster who attacked him before he somehow managed to dodge another tail swipe. He landed on the monster's forehead and stabbed it in the eyes. The monster let out a blood curling scream; then it disintegrated, causing a surprised Sousuke to fall to the ground. _

_ "What…what just happened?" asked Sousuke. The death of the first monster caused the other monsters to turn their attention to him. Just as they were about to pounce upon him a figure dressed in black suddenly appeared and sliced off the heads of each of the monsters with absolute precision. Sousuke watched on in awe as within seconds all of the monsters disappeared. _

_ "Yo, are you alright there kid?" said the man dressed in a black kimono and hakama. As the man walked towards him Sousuke was able to get a good look at his appearance. He had long smooth yellow hair that flowed down past his shoulders. When he smiled at him Sousuke could see a full row of shiny flat teeth._

_ "Who, who are you?" asked Sousuke. "I've never seen a man like you before."_

_ "I'm a Shinigami, a protector of innocent souls. Name's Hirako Shinji. What is yours?"_

_ "Um, Sousuke…Aizen Sousuke."_

_ "Sousuke huh? Well, I was impressed by what you did. It is not often you see a child like you being able to kill a hollow of that size. You must have some amazing spiritual power hidden inside of you."_

_ "Spiritual power? What do you mean?" Sousuke didn't understand what the man was talking about and was further confused when the man offered him his hand._

_ "A child as gifted as you does not belong in such a nasty place. How about you accompany me back to Seireitei? You might be able to become a Shinigami like me," said Shinji._

_ Sousuke was still confused by Shinji's words but the voice in his head told him to accept the offer. Sousuke reluctantly nodded his head. _

_ And so, that chance meeting with his future captain Hirako Shinji gave Sousuke a way out of the miserable life he had been living. He was quickly enrolled at the Spiritual Arts Academy after he amazed the examiners with his abnormally well developed spiritual powers. _

_In the first few months at the Academy Sousuke still found it difficult to fit in with the others. As one of the most gifted students to enter the Academy in generations, he had been assigned to the elite freshmen class, which were filled with the sons of the nobility. His fellow classmates were envious at his ability to quickly learn and master concepts in a short period and the vast amount of spiritual energy he possessed. Envy soon turned into jealously and hatred when Sousuke found himself at the top of the class. The sons of the nobility plotted against him, and when the opportunity presented itself, they ganged up on Sousuke and beat him to within an inch of his life. _

_ As he lay in a coma, Sousuke's consciousness drifted off into another space, and when he awoke he found himself in a strange place. He was sitting on a chair, inside a large ornate pavilion that was surrounded by a pond full of lilies. As Sousuke stood up to take a look around he was suddenly hugged by a mysterious woman dressed in a stunning red kimono. Sousuke gasped and fell onto his back in surprise. _

_ "I am sorry for hurting you Master," said the woman. "I have been waiting for you for so long that I was too overwhelmed with joy in seeing you."_

_ "Who, who are you?" asked Sousuke._

_ "I am the one who has always been by your side. All the pain and sorrow you experienced while you were alone in Rukongai, I too experienced alongside you. When you fought those hollows you awakened me from my slumber, and as you grew in strength in your time at the Academy I too became stronger. In short, I am your power."_

_ "You are my power?" Sousuke was a bit overwhelmed, but another hug from the woman calmed his mind. _

_ "I am the only person who truly understands who you are. Those so called 'friends' who beat you up, that mysterious man who brought you to Seireitei, and those townsfolk who shunned you, they all beneath you, Aizen-sama. If you and I work together, we can accomplish anything._

_ "What…what is your name?" The woman looked at Sousuke with eyes filled with passion and love._

_ "Kyoka Suigetsu…"_

_ From that moment, Sousuke's life was forever transformed. He finally understood that the reason he was shunned by everyone was because he was superior to them all. He discovered a reason for living beyond simply surviving in the world; the mysterious voice in his head have him a vision of a golden throne, which was occupied by a decayed corpse of a man. The voice told him that he had been 'created' for the sole purpose to sit upon that throne and become the god of the new world. In his mind, he was no longer Sousuke the Rukongai child, but the one who would stand in heaven, Aizen Sousuke._

_ Aizen used the powers of his Zanpakuto Kyoka Suigetsu to craft a new image for himself, a 'disguise' that would hide his true nature. As a mild mannered man with glasses and a polite tone of voice he quickly won over all of the students in his class, then the year level, and finally every single student in the whole Academy. Within a year he mastered everything the Academy could teach, but he stayed the full six years. During that time, he was able to recruit a number of underlings who were persuaded by his vision for a new Soul Society. Among them was the future 9th Division captain, Tousen Kaname._

_ By the time he graduated Aizen had already reached the peak of his potential, and had mastered all aspects of Shinigami combat. As he joined the Gotei 13 he was swiftly recruited by the 5th division and brought before the captain, Hirako Shinji. _

_ "Hullo there, Sousuke-kun," said Shinji. "It is a pleasure to see you again."_

_ "Is see you become a captain, Hirako-san," said Aizen. Shinji flashed his captain's haori at Aizen and gave him his trademark smile._

_ "It's pretty neat isn't it? I suppose you want to know why I've brought you here to see me." Aizen calmly waited and observed his captain's expressions. What he saw confirmed what the voice in his head had told him all along: this man, Hirako Shinji, was the perfect superior under which to accomplish his goals._

_ "Let me guess, Hirako Taicho. You want me to become your lieutenant?" asked Aizen._

_ "You are very observant Sousuke-kun! Yes, I am interested in taking you as my right hand man. I am expecting great things from you." _

_ As Aizen expected, Shinji's cautious nature meant he kept his distance and kept a close eye on his lieutenant's movements. This turned out to be perfect for Aizen, for he was easily able to find ways to conduct secret research behind his captain's back. With the gang of subordinates he recruited in his Academy days, he embarked on a grand project he had been instructed to carry out by the voice in his head, who he now called 'Azrael-sama'. _

_ Over the next one hundred and fifty years, Aizen was to effortlessly accomplish his goals with the aid and guidance of his Zanpakuto Kyoka Suigetsu, and the voice of Lord Azrael, his master and 'father'. Through his experiments he was able to create a vessel to channel his master's energies, the Hougyoku. Using his Zanpakuto's ability, he easily hypnotized all of the Shinigami in the Gotei 13, as well as the members of the Council of 46. By overthrowing his former captain Hirako Shinji, he gained absolute control over an entire division. And in conquering Hueco Mundo with his two loyal henchmen Tousen and Gin, he established a base in which to build up an army which he could use to conquer Soul Society._

_ On the very day of his final defection from Soul Society, Aizen was finally able to sit upon the throne of his castle Las Noches and gaze out at the vast expanses of Hueco Mundo, knowing that he was the absolute lord of an entire dimension. Yet he still felt an emptiness in his heart. No matter how many underlings he had at his command, there was no one who could stand next to him as his equal. _

_ "This is just the beginning my son," said the voice of Lord Azrael in Aizen's head. "We cannot rest until the spirit throne is ours and the Reioh lies dead at our feet."_

_ "Yes, father, I will use all of my power and abilities to accomplish that goal," said Aizen. In his heart however, Aizen already started having second thoughts on whether the goal he had set himself was truly worth accomplishing. Even as he gathered his Arrancar Army to launch a war against Soul Society, he also did all he could to assist the growth of the man who would one day stop him: Kurosaki Ichigo. He didn't know why he was interested in seeing the son of Shiba Isshin and Princess Amaterasu grow more powerful. He thought to himself that Kurosaki Ichigo was simply another specimen he could experiment on. _

_ It took Aizen until his final fateful battle with Kurosaki Ichigo to realize what this human/Shinigami hybrid had meant to him. After all of his schemes and efforts, and everything he had sacrificed in order to accomplish his goals, there had been one thing that Aizen had desired in his heart: a person who he could stand next to him as an equal…_

* * *

As the last vestiges of his life force drained away, Aizen thought about what he truly desired in his heart all along. He came to the conclusion that standing in heaven and becoming the new King of Soul Society was never a goal he actually wanted to accomplish. That was only a goal that his father, Azrael, had brainwashed him into accepting. _What I truly wanted, was someone I could be friends with_. At that moment, there was only one person who came to mind in Aizen's head; the only person who had managed to stand on the same level as him: Kurosaki Ichigo. _If we hadn't been enemies, we could have understood each other_, thought Aizen.

Unable to move at all, Aizen could only watch as Azrael walked past his fallen body.

"I should never have placed so much trust in you Sousuke," said Azrael. "If I had known you would betray me in the end, I would never have bothered to go to the lengths I did to assist you. I should have done everything by myself." The dark prince finally stood underneath the glowing portal to the King's Realm again.

With a swing of his sword, Azrael cut a tear in the dimensions that widened into a gateway large enough for him to pass through. He could see with his eyes the outlines of the Royal Palace on the other side of the portal.

"At last, after more than five hundred years, I can finally return home." With a malevolent grin on his face, Azrael jumped through the portal.

As he watched the portal to the King's Realm disappear, Aizen knew his time had come. As he closed his eyes for the last time, he placed all of his hopes on a single man. _I know you can stop him Kurosaki Ichigo. I am counting on you…_

* * *

Ichigo and Ishida arrived at the Heart of Seireitei, having flown down more than six thousand kilometres in less than six minutes. The two men were surprised at what they saw. The entire place was completely devastated. The vast lake of Sekki-seki water Ichigo had seen in his last visit was all gone, and in its place was an empty desolate dome floor. There were holes and gashes along the walls, along with a two hundred metre wide tunnel that travelled several kilometres into the distance.

"What the heck happened here?" asked Ishida. "It looks like a ferocious battle took place."

Ichigo did a thorough search of the area. He could feel no signs of Azrael's reiatsu, and came to the conclusion that his archenemy had already succeeded in entering the King's Realm.

"Come on Ishida. We've got to catch up to Azrael," said Ichigo. As the two of them descended down to the walkway leading to the portal in the centre of the Heart of Seireitei, they spotted a figure lying motionless on the ground. When they got up close to inspect the figure, Ichigo gasped in shock as he realized who it was.

"Who is this person Kurosaki? He looks familiar," said Ishida.

"It's…Aizen." Ichigo bent down and checked Aizen's body. He sighed deeply when he realized Aizen was dead. Just as he and Ishida were about to walk past Aizen's body, a ghostly figure materialized in front of Ichigo. The figure took the form of a familiar black haired woman wearing a red kimono.

"You are…" stuttered Ichigo in surprise.

"I am glad you made it, Kurosaki Ichigo," said the Zanpakuto Kyoka Suigetsu.

* * *

Comments

This chapter marks the death of Aizen Sousuke. I always intended for him to die after turning against his father Azrael and ultimately choosing to save Soul Society instead of destroying it. The hard part for me was in planning out his backstory. Since Kubo never really gave Aizen much of a past history, I more or less had to come up with a flashback story that would serve to flesh out Aizen's character but at the same time not go against his depicting in the manga. Readers of my previous work Bleach: After the War may remember that I wrote a different backstory for Aizen, but that one contained a lot of non-canon material, whereas Aizen's backstory here fits in with the Manga.

As for the manner of Aizen's death, I wanted to give him a truly epic send off. Unlike the one-sided battles Aizen had in the manga, I wanted his battle with Azrael to represent what Aizen at the peak of his power is truly capable of without plot or character induced stupidity.

*Gedo Amatsu Shingetsu(外道天津新月): Means "Forbidden Heavenly Imperial Spirit Moon" in Japanese. This is Azrael/Tsukuyomi's Bankai. The ability of this Bankai, Nirvana, is a homage to both the paths of enlightenment in Buddhism and the Six Paths of Pain in Naruto. Unlike other Bankai users, Azrael cannot activate Nirvana at will. Instead it automatically activates upon his death. In theory Nirvana grants Azrael complete immortality; if he dies he will instantly reincarnate in a more powerful form unless something drastic happens to him.

*Azrael's new form (Fallen Angel Azrael): I decided to name the new form Azrael assumes after he is 'killed' by Aizen 'Fallen Angel Azrael'. This name represents the fact that Azrael/Tsukuyomi has completed his 'fall' from heaven, and is now a being of complete darkness. In terms of power, Fallen Angel Azrael is on an even higher level than fourth form Hougyoku Aizen.


	67. Chapter 67: Into the Realm Eternal

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

The final battle has arrived! The Dark Prince Azrael has succeeded in entering the King's Realm! Can the powered-up Ichigo and Ishida stop him before he kills the Spiirt King and destroys Soul Society! Don't miss these last few exciting chapters of Bleach: The Afterlife Saga!

On another note I would like to give a big thanks to **Ghost 2113, Sargerogue, Eradona, Illidan, Shadow knight1121, hitsugayatoushirou, HokkaidoMaster**, and everyone else for sending in reviews! Your comments and feedback are greatly appreciated!

* * *

Chapter 67: Into the Realm Eternal

Ichigo and Ishida both stared at the Zanpakuto Kyoka Suigetsu in surprise.

"Kyoka Suigetsu…you're still alive? But how?" asked Ichigo. "Isn't master already dead?" The Zanpakuto spirit nodded solemnly.

"Yes, Aizen-sama has passed away. Before he died, he was able to expel me from his body," said Kyoka Suigetsu. "I was able to use the last remnants of my own spirit energy to materialize myself like this."

"So that means when your spirit energy is gone, you will disappear forever?" asked Ishida. Kyoka Suigetsu nodded.

"Aizen-sama wanted me to materialize before you in order to pass on his final message."

"His final message? What did Aizen want to tell us?" asked Ichigo.

"He told me to say the following message to you: 'I could not stop my father Lord Azrael from entering the King's Realm. There is still some time left before he succeeds in killing the Reioh and destroying the Spirit Throne. You must hurry and enter the King's Realm and stop him at all costs.' My master believes that the two of you, Kurosaki Ichigo and Ishida Uryu, are the only ones who can defeat Lord Azrael. He is confident that you will succeed where he failed."

"Well, Ishida and I planned on kicking Azrael's ass regardless of what your master says, but we appreciate the message. We'll definitely defeat Azrael and end his path of destruction." Ichigo's words made Kyoka Suigetsu smile happily. The Zanpakuto spirit started to fade, as the last remnants of her spirit energy ran out.

"Before I disappear, I suppose I should pass on one more message from my master. In the moment of his death he considered you to be the only person who truly understood him. If our fates had been different, he and I might have been your friends."

"Heh, heh, I sort of feel the same too, Suigetsu-san. Aizen may have been my enemy, but I have nothing but respect for him as a person." Ichigo's words caused tears of happiness to flow down Kyoka Suigetsu's eyes.

"Thank you Kurosaki Ichigo. I am glad Aizen-sama and I got to meet a person like you. This is the end for me. Goodbye." With that, the Zanpakuto spirit faded into nothingness.

"I find it hard to believe that Aizen of all people would sacrifice his life to protect Soul Society and the human world," said Ishida.

"Not really Ishida. When I clashed swords with him I managed to understand Aizen's heart," said Ichigo. "Despite everything he said and did, he never really intended to destroy Soul Society. He just wanted to change it for the better. In the end the two of us weren't really so different."

Ichigo and Ishida contemplated the death of Aizen for a few moments, before they turned their attention to the question of gaining entry to the King's Realm. The two of them walked to the control panel underneath the large spherical portal. Ishida examined the control panel for a moment, but he was thoroughly perplexed by the buttons and the switches.

"How does this portal even operate? I can't for the life of me figure out what these arcane symbols mean," said Ishida. Ichigo took a look at the control panel, and quickly noticed a socket near the top of the control panel.

"That socket looks like a slot for a key of some sort," said Ichigo. "Maybe this is where the royal key needs to be inserted into."

"Hmm, perhaps you're right Kurosaki. But I don't see any key around. Did Azrael manage to use the key and then threw it away before we came?"

"If he did then that must have been after he killed Aizen." Ichigo examined the sphere for a moment, pondering how they could open the gateway into the King's Realm without the Ouken. After thoroughly inspecting the entire sphere Ichigo detected a strange spiritual pressure rising from a spot near the sphere's centre. He grinned.

"Hey, Ishida, I think I know a way for us to open the portal to the King's Realm," said Ichigo.

"How Kurosaki?" asked Ishida. "We don't have the Ouken anymore."

"We don't need one. This sphere shows signs of having been torn open by someone and then hastily put back together. I get the feeling that Azrael might have created a gateway to the King's Realm with his own power. If he can do that then so can we!"

Ichigo summoned _Tensa Zangetsu_ into his right hand and held it above his head. Then he swung the sword down in a single stroke. The shockwave created by the swing was so powerful that it ruptured the fabric between dimensions, causing a man-sized hole to appear on the sphere's surface. On the other of the hole Ichigo could see an image of a gate of some sort.

"Is that…the King's Realm?" Ishida was still trying to take in Ichigo's amazing feat of having opened a dimensional tear with a swing of his sword alone.

"Come on Ishida. Let's go, before the portal closes." Without a second thought Ichigo jumped through the portal. Ishida hesitated a moment in following after his friend. The Quincy took a one last look around the Heart of Seireitei, and at the fallen body of Aizen, before making up his mind to jump into the portal. A few seconds later the makeshift portal created by Ichigo's sword started closing up, as the energy sphere repaired itself. Soon the Heart of Seireitei was empty, except for the body of Aizen Sousuke lying nearby.

* * *

Ichigo emerged from the portal with a sudden and painful landing on the ground. As he got up and scratched his read end he looked around at the place he had arrived at. He was standing on a platform of some sort, namely inside the radius of a golden circled etched with the symbols of the Zodiac. Ichigo walked to the side and saw that the platform was floating above a seemingly endless expanse of air. It was attached to a kilometer long bridge. At the other end of the bridge was an enormous set of golden gates. Over four hundred metres high and some one hundred metres wide, the gates were larger than even the main gates surrounding the walls of Seireitei. As Ichigo looked beyond the gates his eyes gasped in astonishment. The gates were but a small part of a truly immense super structure so massive that Ichigo couldn't see the top, for it was covered by a thick band of clouds.

"Man these walls must be several kilometres high," said Ichigo. He was further astounded when he saw the walls of the structure extending outwards from the gates all the way to the horizon on both sides.

"My god, this thing is massive!" exclaimed Ichigo. He took a step back just to make sure he was seeing things correctly. Just then, Ishida appeared from the portal and landed on top of him. The Quincy took a look around, and gasped in astonishment when he saw the huge structure lying in front of him.

"What, what is this place? I've never seen anything so huge!" exclaimed Ishida.

"I know right? I had the same feeling as you did. Now, could you please get off me?" asked Ichigo. Ishida blushed in embarrassment when he finally realized he was standing on Ichigo. He hastily got off and helped Ichigo to his feet. The two men stared at the structure again.

"This must be the King's Palace," said Ichigo.

"Are sure Kurosaki? If this is a 'palace' then it is far larger than even Las Noches," said Ishida. "You could fit the whole of Seireitei inside this thing many times over. I doubt even cities in the real world like Tokyo compare to a structure like this."

"You think too much Ishida. Who cares how this palace was built? I sense Azrael's reiatsu inside so we know he must have come here."

Ichigo and Ishida walked down the bridge towards the gates. When they reached the other end of the bridge the two of them were taken aback as the gates started opening. With a thunderous creek the two gates swung inwards. It took a full minute for the gates to finish opening. Ichigo and Ishida tentatively walked though the opened gates. They found themselves staring at a seemingly endless hallway, with a ceiling over a kilometer high, and walls some five hundred metres apart. Running along the length of the hallway were gigantic columns which contained paintings depicting legendary heroes and events of past ages gone by.

"This place reminds me of the legendary hall of Valhalla from Norse mythology," commented Ishida. Ichigo ignored his comment and continued walking down the hall. As he looked around he saw countless blood stains splattered upon the walls and the floor. Further ahead Ichigo saw numerous bodies lying on the ground. All of them were horribly mutilated, with limbs and heads scattered everywhere.

"Look at this Ishida," Ichigo pointed at the mutilated bodies lying on the ground. Ishida took one look at the bodies and suddenly felt nauseous.

"Ugh, this is awful. Who could have done this?" asked Ishida.

"There is only one person who could have done this. No doubt this is Azrael's handiwork." Ichigo gripped his hands into a fist tightly. "He's going to pay for killing so many innocent people." With a burst of reiatsu Ichigo flash stepped down the hallway.

"Wait up Kurosaki!" yelled Ishida as he used Hirenkyaku to catch up to his friend.

* * *

As Ichigo and Ishida ran as fast as they could through the bowels of the Royal Palace, their mortal enemy Azrael had already arrived at the King's Chamber. A immense cube shaped room spanning a kilometer across on each side and with walls a kilometer high, the chamber was almost devoid of features except for a large golden throne situated at the far end of the room.

The throne was situated on a pedestal that was twice as high as an average human. Attached to the pedestal were countless tubes and wires that spread outwards along the floor of the chamber before disappearing underneath it. The throne itself was made of a metallic substance that resembled gold, but with a hardness many times greater than even diamond. Etched into the surface of the throne were numerous arcane symbols belonging to an ancient and long extinct language.

Azrael observed the throne for a moment, but his attention was drawn to the husk of a man sitting motionless upon it. Dressed in a golden kimono, the man looked more like a mummy than a human. His hands and feet were completely shriveled up and dry. The man's head was covered by a majestic helmet with a golden crown, and a mask like front depicting a stylized face of a man. Numerous golden wires were attached to the man's back and arms; these wires fed into the back of the throne, which contained a device that resembled a life support system. The man showed no emotion at seeing the figure of Azrael standing before him. Azrael's face however was filled with anger and hatred.

"I have returned brother," said Azrael.

"I knew you would return one day," said the Spirit King Susano-o in a baritone voice.

"It is time for me to finish what I started back then. With your death, the destruction of Soul Society will be complete. I shall usher in a new world which I can shape to my liking."

"You will never succeed in your goal Tsukuyomi. The path you walk will only lead to your utter oblivion. Why do you wish to destroy everything?"

"You already know the answer to that question, brother." Susano-o sighed deeply. He knew full well what motivated Tsukuyomi's desire to destroy the Spirit Throne. It all stemmed back to that day…

* * *

_"We have come as you requested, father," said Prince Susano-o. He and his brother Tsukuyomi had been summoned by the Spirit King Izanagi for a private talk. The two Royal Princes knelt before their father, who sat immobile upon the Spirit Throne._

_ "Thank you Susano-o, Tsukuyomi," said Izanagi in a deep voice. "I could not ask for two more worthy successors to the throne."_

_ "Successors to the throne? What do you mean father?" asked Tsukuyomi. He and Susano-o waited with baited breath for Izanagi to speak again. When the Spirit King did speak, his words caused both of the Princes' hearts to tremble._

_ "My time has almost come, my sons. Soon I shall leave this world and ascend to a higher plane of assistance," said Izanagi._

_ "No! Don't tell me you're leaving us!" cried Tsukuyomi, suddenly standing up. Susano-o elbowed his brother in the back and told him to calm down._

_ "I understand father. It is time for you to choose who will succeed you as the next Spirit King, isn't it?" asked Susano-o._

_ "You are correct Susano-o. I have thought long and hard about who should follow in my footsteps and sit upon this golden throne after me. Both of you have matured into beings of remarkable strength and wisdom. I know that either one of you would make for a great king once I am gone. It pains my heart to favour one brother over another."_

_ Neither Susano-o nor Tsukuyomi could control their anxiety and anticipation as they waited for their father to decide on his successor. Izanagi contemplated for a moment, and then raised his right hand._

_ "Rise, Susano-o. You shall be the successor to the Spirit Throne," said Izanagi. Tsukuyomi was outraged when he heard his brother's name._

_ "This is ridiculous father! Why did you choose Susano-o over me? You know that I am older and more powerful than him!" shouted Tsukuyomi. _

_ "Power has nothing to do with it my son. I made my choice upon the quality of the hearts the two of you possessed. Susano-o simply had a heard that was more compassionate for other people." _

_ "But I am a better leader than him! If I become Spirit King I can guide the souls of humanity to enlightenment better than Susano-o can!" Izanagi shook his head in disappointment when he heard Tsukuyomi's words._

_ "You still have much to learn my son. The role of the Spirit King is not to guide and direct the souls of humanity, but to maintain the order and balance of the dimensions. We should not tell ordinary humans how to live their lives, but instead allow them to make choices for themselves." _

_ Tsukuyomi gnashed his teeth in anger and frustration, but he couldn't argue against Izanagi's logic. Without warning the dark haired prince turned around and stomped out of the King's Chamber. _

_ "Shall I go after him father?" asked Susano-o._

_ "Yes my son. Your brother is understandably upset at my decision. You need to persuade him that it is the right choice. I do not wish to see the two sons I am most proud of fighting each other. Once I am gone, Tsukuyomi will still be needed to assist you in your duties."_

_ "I understand father. I shall talk to him at once." Susano-o rose to his feet and quickly ran out of the King's Chamber to find his brother. The first place he decided to look was his family's living quarters. When he arrived there and stepped through the doorway, he froze in shock at what he saw. Numerous bodies were lying on the floor, and the walls were splattered with blood. Susano-o inspected the bodies and found they were all dead. When he checked the last body, he recoiled in horror as he saw the mutilated face of his mother._

_ "Mother…who…who did this to you?" cried Susano-o. Just then he heard the voice of his sister-in-law and wife Princess Amaterasu scream nearby. Susano-o quickly ran to his bedroom chambers and kicked it open. He gasped in shock upon seeing his brother Tsukuyomi, brandishing a bloody sword in his hand, advancing towards his beloved Amaterasu._

_ "Get away from me you fiend!" cried Amaterasu. She tried to push Tsukuyomi away but Tsukuyomi easily batted her onto the bed. _

_ "You are mine now nee-san," grinned a malicious Tsukuyomi._

_ "Stop brother!" shouted Susano-o. He reached for his sword and was about to unsheathe it when Tsukuyomi suddenly turned around and slashed him across the chest. Susano-o coughed up blood from his mouth as he fell backwards and landed against a wall. Blood flowed freely from the gaping wound running from his shoulder blades down to his waist._

_ "Susano-o-kun!" screamed Amaterasu in despair. She tried to rush to him but Tsukuyomi cast a spell that pinned her down onto the bed._

_ "Why Tsukuyomi…why did you do this?" asked Susano-o in a weak voice. Tsukuyomi pointed his sword at his brother's throat._

_ "You want to know why I did this brother? It is simple. I've always hated how you were always better than me. You were the one who always got the praise and acclaim from father, mother and the Royal Guards. You were the one who was loved by all of the servants, whilst I was shunned and despised! Both Tsukino and Amaterasu chose you over me! And in the ultimate insult, our father thinks you would make a better king than I am! I cannot stand for this anymore brother. I'd rather destroy everything than submit to your rule!"_

_ "You…you did all of this…just to spite me?"_

_ "YES, I want you to feel the shame and humiliation I've experienced in these last one thousand years since you were born!" shouted Tsukuyomi. "More than that, I want you to experience the despair that I feel now in being utterly powerless. Go ahead and take that empty throne. It no longer has any meaning for me. I have found a better way to become god over this world." With that, Tsukuyomi stabbed Susano-o in the left shoulder blade again. Then he grabbed Amaterasu tightly by the hand and stormed out of the room. The last thing Susano-o heard before he lost consciousness was the screaming voice of his beloved Amaterasu. _

_ Susano-o was later found by the Royal Guard Isshin, who he instructed to chase after Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu. After Isshin left, Susano-o lost consciousness again before he was found by the remaining Royal Guards._

_ "Susano-o-dono!" exclaimed Hideyoshi in shocked. "I am so glad you are still alive! We need to do something to save you quick!"_

_ "Is…is my father still alive?" asked Susano-o. Hideyoshi and the other Royal Guards shook their heads sadly._

_ "Our beloved Izanagi Tenno, your father…he passed away when he felt the deaths of his family. Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu and gone too. You are the only member of the family still alive. We need to give you emergency treatment fast."_

_ "No…if father is already dead…then there is no time left. Please Hideyoshi-san…place me upon my father's throne and let me assume his place as the new king." The Commander of the Royal Guards struggled for a moment to comprehend the Prince's order, but then he nodded._

_ "I understand Shinno." Hideyoshi and a fellow Royal Guard gently lifted Susano-o up and carried him to the King's Chamber. They placed the critically injured prince upon the Spirit Throne and attached the life preservation mechanisms to his body. Then they placed the Royal Crown upon Susano-o's head. The moment the crown was placed upon him, Susano-o's body was forever immobilized. His consciousness merged with the throne itself and expanded outwards to encompass all of the souls in Soul Society and the real world. _

_ From that moment onwards, Susano-o was destined to sit upon that solitary throne as the new Reioh. He knew that someday his brother would return, looking to finish what he started…_

* * *

"You haven't changed at all Tsukuyomi," said Susano-o. "You are still determined to exact revenge upon me for the decision that father made?"

"I've long since moved past mere revenge brother. I've seen what the lower realms are like. They are not worth ruling over, certainly not from a cold and lifeless throne like this. Father made the right choice after all in selecting you to be his successor. If he chose me, I would have gotten bored with being the Spirit King and watching over so many forsaken souls. In the end, I would have destroyed them all."

Azrael's words sent a shudder through Susano-o's weak but still beating heart. All this time the noble Susano-o had believed there was good within his brother's soul, and that he could be saved. But now he realized that his brother Tsukuyomi had been unredeemable from the beginning.

"I am truly disappointed in you. I had hoped you and I would one day walk the same path," said Susano-o. In a sudden move Azrael thrust his sword right through his brother's neck.

"I never wanted to be like you brother. Your piety and righteousness disgusts me," Azrael spat into Susano-o's face. "This is the end for you. Goodbye!" The dark prince retracted his sword, causing copious amounts of blood to flow from a gaping hole in Susano-o's neck. The dying Spirit King chuckled.

"Go ahead and kill me Tsukuyomi. You cannot win. Even if I die, someone will take my place and stop you from destroying everything."

"SHUT UP! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!" screamed Azrael in a rage. Despite his fury, Azrael could do nothing but watch as Susano-o's body faded away into nothingness, leaving behind only the golden helmet resting upon the throne. As he stared at the helmet, Azrael felt a feeling of emptiness inside his heart. Despite having singlehandedly crushed the Gotei 13 and destroyed Seireitei, and evolving into a state far beyond that of any spirit, the former Prince of the Royal Realm still felt he had been denied ultimate victory; he would never be able to savor the feeling of watching his brother die in agony.

"Damn you Susano-o," Azrael clenched his fists in frustration. After a minute however, his anger died down as he realized how meaningless the feud with his brother really was. The dark prince broke down and started laughing madly. He laughed so hard that his voice could be heard throughout the whole of the gargantuan edifice that was the Royal Palace.

"Why didn't I realize this sooner? My existence, the Spirit Throne, Soul Society, the whole of reality as a whole, all of it is pointless. There is no meaning in becoming the god of a new universe if there is nothing to rule over." Azrael raised his sword above his head and charged an incredible amount of spirit energy into it. "Yes, I'll end everything right now. All of existence shall be destroyed by my hand."

Just as Azrael was about to swing down his sword and destroy the Spirit Throne he was suddenly struck in the back by a volley of spirit arrows and a black crescent shaped energy blast. These attacks were powerful enough to bring Azrael to his knees. The dark prince recovered in an instant. Outraged and furious at having been denied his final victory, Azrael turned around and looked for his attackers. His eyes immediately focused on two figures standing at the entrance to the King's Chamber, nearly a kilometer away. When he realized who they were Azrael's face contorted into an expression of rage and anger.

"YOU!" screamed Azrael. He could not believe his eyes. Standing in front of him was the son of his greatest enemy, and the last scion of the clan he had manipulated.

"You have gone far enough Azrael," said Kurosaki Ichigo. The son of Shiba Isshin and Princess Amaterasu pointed his black Nodachi at Azrael.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, Shiba Isshin's son," sniggered Azrael. "Are you here to stop me?"

"No, I am here to destroy you. I still owe you one for killing my father, but revenge isn't my primary motivation. As a Shinigami of the Gotei 13, I am sworn to protect Soul Society and all of the souls who live in it. I won't let you destroy it!"

"So you intend to protect Soul Society by killing me? What a ridiculous notion." Azrael shook his head and laughed at Ichigo's words. He then turned his attention to Ishida. "And what about you human? Do you have the same goal as your Shinigami friend?"

"Of course," said Ishida Uryu, the last of the Quincies. He brandished his spirit bow _Ginrei Kojaku _at Azrael. "Just like Kurosaki I have a reason to seek revenge against you for killing my father. But as a human I have a far greater motivation to defeat you, and that is stop you from destroying the world that I live in and cherish!"

Upon hearing both Ichigo and Ishida's words Azrael burst into a fit of insane laughter. He laughed so hard his eyes almost bulged out of their sockets.

"This is so hilarious! So, my last two opponents are a mere Shinigami and a human. What can the two of you do against I, who has transcended the bounds of reality and become a god?"

"We don't care if you call yourself a god. All that matters is that you are our enemy," said Ichigo. "You have no idea how long Ishida and I have been waiting to kill you."

Ichigo's words unsettled Azrael. The dark prince had never encountered anyone who spoke back to him in such an insolent manner.

"You dare speak to me in such a defiant tone? Arrogant boy! KNOW YOUR PLACE!" shouted Azrael. He flared out his spiritual pressure to its maximum extent, bathing the entire chamber in his power. His entire body glowed with evil spirit energy. Ichigo and Ishida however were entirely unfazed by Azrael's attempt to at reiatsu crushing them.

"Did you think you could frighten us into submission with your power alone? How naïve," chided Ichigo.

"You are making a big mistake underestimating our power Azrael," said Ishida in a confident tone. "We are not like any of the opponents you have fought and beaten before."

Azrael was shocked that a mere Shinigami and a human could withstand his spiritual power and not be overwhelmed by it. That both Ichigo and Ishida were able to talk back against him only added insult to injury.

"You…insolent brats! I shall tear both of you apart with my bare hands and teach you the true meaning of fear!" screamed Azrael in a rage. With a burst of reiatsu that caused the ground beneath him to crumble, he flew at Ichigo and Ishida. The two of them brandished their weapons and concentrated their reiatsu towards their feet, before dashing off the ground towards Azrael. As the two opposing forces clashed, their impact generated a tremendous shockwave of energy that rocked the entire Royal Palace to its foundations.

* * *

At this moment, in the ruins of Seireitei, Inoue Orihime regained consciousness and opened her eyes. She found herself lying on her back, inside a white transparent dome.

"I'm…alive?" Orihime rubbed her feet together to make sure she wasn't dreaming; the last thing she remembered was passing away from exhaustion just as her nakama Ichigo and Ishida finished their training.

A few seconds later the white dome disappeared, and a beautiful woman with long white hair appeared over Orihime's body.

"You're all fine now Inoue," said the woman. Orihime took a good look at the woman's face. The woman looked awfully familiar, yet there was a strange otherworldly presence coming from her.

"Um…who are you?" asked Orihime. The woman chuckled and laid her hand on Orihime's chest.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think my appearance had changed so much that my best girl friend wouldn't recognise me." As Orihime listened to the woman talk again she finally realized who this woman was. Despite the strange clothes, the long white hair and the more mature appearance, she was still the same person underneath.

"K…Kuchiki-san!" exclaimed Orihime. She got up and hugged Rukia with her arms, pressing her ample bosom against Rukia's chest. "I've missed you so much!"

"It's good to see you again too Inoue," said Rukia with a smile. When Orihime stopped hugging Rukia and stepped back it was clear there were tears in her eyes.

"I really thought I had died inside that scary Dangai passageway."

"You were dead Inoue. Ichigo and Uryu brought you here and I used my powers to revive you," said Rukia. Orihime was confused for a moment; she wondered how Rukia was able to resurrect her.

"Um, Kuchiki-san, you can bring dead people back to life too?" asked Orihime. Rukia shook her head. Just then, the two girls felt the ground rumble beneath their feet. The tremor lasted for nearly twenty seconds, and shook the whole of Seireitei to its foundations.

"What, what is this earthquake?"

"That is the sound of your nakama Kurosaki Ichigo and Ishida Uryu fighting against the fallen prince Tsukuyomi," said Urahara Kisuke. The 12th division captain had managed to survive the explosion that had destroyed the Senzaikyu with only minor burns and clothing damage. He walked across an area filled with rubble and stood beside Rukia and Orihime. The three of them gazed down at the gaping hole in the centre of Seireitei.

"So Kurosaki-kun and Ishida-kun are down there?" asked Orihime. Urahara and Rukia nodded.

"The hopes of all the living beings in Soul Society and the human world rest upon their shoulders. If they fail, the world as we know it will end." Orihime could do nothing but stare at the hole in silence, hoping in her heart that Ichigo and Ishida were okay.

"Ichigo, you better win. I know you can stop my brother," said Rukia.

* * *

In the afterlife of the great clash of spiritual pressures inside the King's Chambers of the Royal Palace, Ichigo and Ishida managed to push Azrael backwards. As the three transcendental beings squared off against each other, the chamber itself could barely withstand their immense powers. From the single clash of swords alone, a five hundred metre wide crater had been carved out in the middle of the chamber's floor.

"I never would have thought that two mere humans would be able to block one of my strikes," said Azrael. "Not even the most powerful Shinigami could even withstand my reiatsu."

"You are underestimating us if you think Ishida and I are simply mere humans," said Ichigo. "I have the blood of the Reioh running through my veins, just as like you. And I am a true blood Shinigami, like my father. I think that puts me in the same dimension as you."

"I may be a human, but that doesn't mean I'm any weaker than a Shinigami," said Ishida. The Quincy showed Azrael the necklace he was wearing. "I have mastered the _Niebelung_, a feat that even its creator, my ancestor Siegfried Walsung, the most powerful human who ever lived, failed to accomplish."

"What laughable boasts! Do you think such statements put the two of you on the same level as me? ABANDON YOUR ARROGANCE HUMANS!" shouted Azrael in a rage.

Azrael thrust his Zanpakuto _Amatsu Shingetsu_ at Ichigo and Ishida multiple times, using his sword's _Deva Path_ ability to create dimensional portals that made the tip of the blade appear instantly in front of them. Ichigo and Ishida easily avoided all of Azrael's teleporting sword attacks and flash stepped to the left.

"Don't think your abilities will work on us. We've seen through all of your moves," said Ishida. The Quincy pulled back the strings of his bow and fired a volley of over a thousand arrows at Azrael. The dark prince hastily raised up a powerful _Negacion_ barrier to block the arrows.

"You talk big Quincy boy! But no attack can breach through my _Animal Paths'_ absolute barrier!" boasted Azrael. The fallen angel however, had failed to realize that Ishida's attacks were but a distraction to set up the real attack. Before Azrael could react, Ichigo suddenly pierced through his barrier with his _Tensa Zangetsu. _As the yellow barrier cracked into pieces, Ichigo summoned _Tensa Engetsu_ in his hands and slashed downwards at Azrael. Azrael could barely block the golden nodachi blade with his own sword, and Ichigo's power pushed the prince backwards for about a hundred metres, carving a five metre wide trench along the ground.

_This is absolutely ridiculous_, thought Azrael. _How can a mere Shinigami's blade be overpowering a transcendental being like myself?_

Ichigo exerted more of his power into _Tensa Engetsu_, increasing its sharpness. Azrael's eyes widened in surprise when Ichigo's sword started cutting into his own sword's blade. The dark prince hastily teleported away, resulting in Ichigo following through for a powerful downward slash that carved out a fifteen metre wide hole that penetrated all the way down to the base of the Royal Palace, some ten kilometres below. Ichigo looked up at Azrael and stared at him with a curious grin.

"You dodged that last attack my mine. That means you're afraid of my blade," said Ichigo. "I'M NOT AFRAID OF ANYTHING!" screamed an enraged Azrael. The dark prince intensified his spiritual pressure to its maximum amount, which caused the floor beneath him to crumble. "I will kill both of you in an instant!"

With a mental command Azrael shot out over a thousand spiritual tendrils from his body, with all of them homing in on his two opponents. Ichigo and Ishida instantly knew what they were, and quickly took measures to avoid them. Ichigo was able to use his super speed to easily dodge each and every tendril that tried to stab him. Ishida however was not so lucky. After dodging numerous tendrils, his luck ran out and a tendril impaled directly through the heart.

"Ishida!" shouted Ichigo with concern.

"That's one down," Azrael grinned. For a moment it seemed that Ishida's soul had been sucked out of his body, as the Quincy's body went motionless. Then, to Azrael's surprise, Ishida pulled the tendril that impaled him in the heart out of his body and proceeded to crush it in his left hand.

"IMPOSSIBLE! No one can survive my _Hungry Ghost Path_'s soul tendrils!" exclaimed a shocked Azrael. "How are you still alive?" Ishida, amused by the fact he had unnerved his archenemy, grinned happily.

"You want to know how I survived your attack? It is simple." Ishida pointed to the _Niebelung_ dangling around his neck. "I knew you were trying to suck my soul out, so in the instant before I was struck I substituted one of the souls inside this stone for my own. In short, what you just absorbed was but one of the millions of souls that make up the _Niebelung_."

Azrael was lost for words at Ishida's explanation. He never imagined that his former pawn Siegfried would end up creating a weapon that would be ultimately used against him like this.

"This…this is ridiculous! Even if you've seen and memorized all of my abilities, there is no way the you would have had enough time to devise every single known countermeasure!" shouted Azrael. "And how did the two of you become so powerful? It has been at best two days since I last saw your faces. No Shinigami or human could have gotten so much stronger so quickly. So tell me, what is the secret you are hiding from me?"

Neither Ichigo nor Ishida spoke a word. However, their inner thoughts allowed Azrael to piece together an explanation. The dark prince once again had an arrogant expression on his face,

"Ah I see, you have been training in the Dangai precipice world for the last six months," said Azrael. "No wonder you have gotten so powerful in such a short time. Still, it is a joke to think that two mortals could ever match me in power."

"Wanna bet Azrael? We haven't even begun to show you the fruits of our training," said Ichigo. The orange haired Shinigami raised his black _Tensa Zangetsu_ blade above his head. Then, in a single downward swing, he fired an immense black _Getsuga Tensho_ at Azrael. The fang like energy blast grew in size until it was as tall as the ceiling. Azrael barely had enough time to summon a _Negacion_ barrier before the energy blast smashed into him. The dark prince was further astounded when the black _Getsuga_ started cutting through his barrier a few seconds later. _No way! How could any spirit based attack penetrate my Animal Path's shield? _As Azrael tried to comprehend the situation, Ichigo raised his golden _Tensa Engetsu_ above his head.

"_Getsuga Tensho_," said Ichigo. His golden Bankai blade fired a second crescent moon-shaped energy blast at Azrael just as the first blade penetrated the barrier. The twin _Getsugas _smashed into Azrael and pushed him some five hundred metres backwards until he was almost against one of the walls of the chamber.

"DON'T YOU DARE UNDERESTIMATE ME!" shouted Azrael at the top of his voice. By charging all of his spiritual energy into his sword the dark prince succeeded in redirecting both of Ichigo's attacks into the ceiling. The two _Getsugas_ demolished the entire ceiling and carved their way through all ten kilometres of the Royal Palace's upper levels before breaking through the roof and disappearing high into the sky above.

"Ha, ha, ha, did you really think you could harm me with an attack like that?" Azrael taunted Ichigo. At this moment however, a glowing pentagram appeared beneath Azrael's feet. In an instant the dark prince's entire body was immobilized, much to Azrael's horror.

"I did not think you were stupid enough to fall for my trap so easily," smiled Ishida.

"This is your doing Quincy?" Thick veins of anger appeared on Azrael's face.

"Yes. That pentagram is one of the sealing spells devised by my ancestor Siegfried. The incantation for it is long and requires one to speak in an ancient dialect. Without Kurosaki's distraction, I would never have succeeded in casting it. It is too late for you now." As Ishida spoke, a large number of blue coloured energy spheres rose out of the ground from the pentagram. Within a few seconds Azrael was completely covered with over fifty energy spheres. The dark prince tried desperately to break free from the seal but it was useless. His eyes widened in horror as the energy spheres started glowing.

"_Edelstein von Alberich_," said Ishida. "This is my ancestor Siegfried's last gift for you. Goodbye, Prince Tsukuyomi." Before Azrael could even scream, the fifty energy spheres detonated, creating a concentrated column of blue spirit energy that completely engulfed the dark prince. The column rose penetrated through all of the upper levels of the Royal Place and peaked just above the roof. After a minute or so the column of energy dissipated. The pentagram also disappeared. Though the area of effect of Ishida's attack was small, its effect had been devastating. When Azrael appeared again, he was missing both arms and one of his legs, and more than half of his torso had been blown away. Both of his wings were gone and his head was barely attached to his body.

"Urgh…I'm not…finished…yet!" croaked Azrael.

"You are now," said Ichigo, who appeared behind Azrael in an instant. Before Azrael could react Ichigo swung his _Tensa Zangetsu_ in a horizontal arc. Azrael could only let out a horrified scream before his entire head and neck was instantly obliterated by Ichigo's sword. With his head gone, the rest of Azrael's body toppled over onto the ground.

"Looks like we've done it," said Ishida. "Azrael is dead."

"Wait, something's wrong Ishida," said Ichigo. "I can still feel reiatsu from Azrael's body." Ichigo bent down and inspected the remnants of the dark prince's body. _There's no doubt it, he's life force is still there,_ thought Ichigo. _Is he going to regenerate like Aizen did_?

A few seconds later Azrael's body was engulfed by an aura of black and red reiatsu so intense that even Ichigo had to jump away for safety. He and Ishida watched on in surprise as the half destroyed body started regenerating.

"I don't believe it…he's regenerating," said Ishida. "I thought we killed him." Both Ichigo and Ishida suddenly heard an insane laugh fill the entire chamber.

* * *

Comments

This chapter marks the beginning of the final battle of the Civil War between Azrael and the tag team of Ichigo and Ishida. In an interesting tidbit, the title for this chapter was inspired by one of the campaign missions in Warcraft 3 (the one where the corrupted Prince Arthas and the Undead invade the High Elves' kingdom).

*The Royal Palace: The centrepiece of the King's Realm is the gargantuan Royal Palace. In writing this chapter it went to great lengths in planning and sketching out the palace's design. The overall look of the palace draws heavily from the Halls of Valhalla from Norse Mythology, but also the palace of Shangdi('God' in Chinese Mythology). In regard to the palace's size, it is by far the largest single structure in the Bleach Universe. The chapter itself does not quite do justice to the scale of the palace, but overall the Royal Palace is a giant cubic structure twenty kilometres high and some forty kilometres across.

*Susano-o and Tsukuyomi's flashback: This is the final flashback that fills in the gaps in the last gaps in the backstory concerning the Spirit King and the Royal Family. It depicts how Azrael/Tsukuyomi murdered his entire family including the Spirit King Izanagi, but left his brother alive. It shows how Princess Amaterasu was kidnapped. It also shows how Susano-o became the new Spirit King.

*Edelstein von Alberich: This means "Jewels of Alberich" in German. Alberich was the name of the dwarf/sorcerer in the Niebelung Saga who was responsible for cursing the hero Siegfried and thus causing the downfall of his family. In terms of the Bleach mythology, this is the name of one of most powerful attacks devised by Ishida's ancestor Siegfried Walsung.


	68. Chapter 68: Twilight of the Gods

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

Wow, this story has received over 600 reviews! To **Sargerogue, Ghost2113, Shadow knight1121, HokkaidoMaster, hitsugayatoushiro1220, Illidan the Half Demon, Eradona, Justice League Expansion**, and everyone else who has followed this story, I thank you from all for the wonderful feedback and comments I've received!

I know all of you have been eagerly anticipating this chapter, which marks the climax of the Civil War Arc, the Royal Guard Saga, and the entire story as a whole. For all of you who have followed Bleach: Afterlife Saga from the beginning, this is the chapter you have been waiting for.

This is not the last chapter however. There will be at least another two chapters to go which will fully wrap up all of the story's plotlines and resolve the fates of every single character.

* * *

Chapter 68: Twilight of the Gods

The maniacal laughter filling the King's Chamber of the Royal Palace was so loud and ominous that Ichigo and Ishida had to cover their ears to dampen the sound. The two men watched in disgust as the mutilated body of Azrael repaired itself. First both of the legs were restored, which allowed the body to stand upright again. Next both arms regenerated, followed by the whole of the upper torso and two sets of wings. Finally, Azrael's head grew back on top of his neck.

"Son of a bitch," swore Ichigo. He gnashed his teeth in frustration.

"Ha, ha, ha, did you really think you could kill me? How naïve," laughed Azrael. "And to think you claimed you've seen all of my abilities…when you've forgotten my greatest power!"

"Your greatest power?" asked a confused Ishida, who turned to Ichigo. "What is he talking about Kurosaki?" Ichigo thought for a moment. Then he realized what Azrael's true power was.

"Crap, I should have known he had such an ability," said Ichigo. He stared at Azrael in the face. "Your Bankai has the power of the Hougyoku doesn't it?" Azrael was momentarily surprised that Ichigo was able to deduce his true power, but then the dark prince grinned evilly. "You are correct Shiba Isshin's son. My Bankai, _Gedo Amatsu Shingetsu_, grants me absolute immortality. With my Zanpakuto's _Hell Path_ ability alone, I can regenerate from practically any physical or energy based attack. But should an enemy succeed in actually killing me, I will simply come back from the dead, and evolve into a powerful form!" Azrael pointed his right hand at Ichigo and started laughing insanely. "YOU HAVE FAILED SHINIGAMI! YOU AND YOUR QUINCY FRIEND HAVE ONLY SUCCEEDED IN MAKING ME MORE POWERFUL!"

At this moment Azrael's body was engulfed by an aura of red spiritual pressure so dense and evil that the entire space around the dark prince began to warp. Ichigo and Ishida had to intensify their own reiatsu just to protect themselves from the reiatsu being emitted by Azrael.

"His reiatsu his almost twice as strong as it was before!" exclaimed Ishida. "What power! Even the two of us together as we are now don't stand a chance against it."

"Wait, something's happening to his body," said Ichigo. He and Ishida watched carefully, as Azrael's entire body began to convulse and mutate. His entire body expanded in size until he was five times as large as he was before. The white garments he was wearing were shredded to pieces as his bare skin changed colour into a dark red complexion. Azrael's human face shifted and changed into a more demonic and bestial appearance, with a sharp nose, a serrated teeth, evil yellow eyes and four horns growing from his head. The fingers on his hands and the toes on his feet became a set of sharp claws. The wings on his back expanded to cover nearly half the room and now resembled the wings of a bat. Finally, from a long pitchfork like tail grew outwards from Azrael's behind. When his transformation was complete, the dark prince now towered above the two humans. His form was no longer that of an angel, but that of a demon.

"HA, HA, HA, YOU MORTALS LOOK SO PUNY NOW!" laughed Azrael with a deep, booming voice.

"Whoa, he's huge," sweated Ichigo nervously.

"He doesn't even remotely resemble a human anymore," commented Ishida. Before either Ichigo or Ishida were ready to react, the new demonic Azrael suddenly thrust out his right arm and grabbed hold of Ishida's left arm. Ishida instinctively raised a protective barrier around himself, but before he could get it up Azrael succeeded in tearing all of his left arm off. Copious amounts of blood spurted out from Ishida's arm socket, and soon there was a pool of blood beneath his feet.

"Ishida!" yelled Ichigo with concern as he saw Ishida fall onto his knees in pain.

"I'm alright Kurosaki, I've already staunched the flow of blood," said Ishida, as he nursed his left arm socket with his right hand.

"YOU'VE LOWERED YOUR GUARD SON OF SHIBA ISSHIN!" laughed Azrael with glee. Before Ichigo could react, the demonic prince turned his body to face the Spirit Throne. He opened his mouth and fired a powerful concentrated ball of red spirit energy.

"No!" cried Ichigo in horror. The orange haired Shinigami quickly flash stepped about ten metres in front of the spirit throne and used his Bankai's _Mangetsu Gaieshi_ ability to summon a powerful black force field around himself and the throne. Azrael's energy ball hit Ichigo's shield and exploded, causing a gigantic fireball that shot upwards in the sky and drilled downwards through the bottom ten kilometres of the Royal Palace before disappearing into the bottomless depths of the King's Realm. The explosion left behind gaping hole over fifty metres wide in the centre of the King's Chamber that extended right through the entire palace.

"CURSE YOU SHINIGAMI!" swore Azrael when he saw that the Spirit Throne was still intact. Ichigo however had paid a price for protecting the throne. Even his most powerful energy barrier could not withstand the devastating explosion caused by Azrael's energy ball. The entire left side if his Bankai Shihakusho had been blasted off, and his arms, face and torso were covered with burns.

"WELL, WELL, I MAY HAVE FAILED TO DESTROY THE SPIRIT THRONE, BUT I HAVE WEAKENED YOU GREATLY," boomed Azrael. "YOUR REIATSU HAS DROPPED BY HALF. YOU LONGER STAND A CHANCE AGAINST ME NOW!"

"Oh really?" asked Ichigo. "This is hardly a mortal wound for me. I've suffered way worse injuries and still kept on fighting." He looked at Ishida. "You're the same way right Ishida?"

"Yeah." Ishida smiled at Ichigo's comment. "The loss of an arm is nothing to me. With my current powers, I can restore it back to normal...in an instant." Channeling all of the spirit threads in the air around him, Ishida was able to pull his severed arm back into its socket. He then used _Ransotengai_ to completely restore his arm to normal. The Quincy then stood up and stretched his restored left arm, before he took a look at the gloves he wore on both hands.

"I was reluctant to use this move because I was still worried about losing my powers. But in this situation I cannot afford to hold back," Ishida stared at Azrael with a pair of resolve filled eyes. "I'm going all out!" With an unspoken spell, Ishida removed both of his gloves, causing them to disintegrate. An instant later his body exploded with reiatsu, causing a column of blue spirit energy to shoot up high into the sky. Standing inside the column of spirit energy, Ishida underwent an incredible transformation. An elaborate white body armour made out of bundles of spirit threads covered his torso and arms. The front and back of the armour was marked with the symbol of the Quincy cross. An ornate dress-like hakama with an intricate pattern of blue lines appeared around Ishida's waist. The most significant change was a giant cannon that appeared over Ishida's right hand and arm. The cannon was linked to a large flame-like quiver attached to Ishida's right shoulder, while the interior of the cannon had a handle with a trigger for his right hand to hold onto. The top of the cannon contained a second handlebar for his left hand.

"This is the ultimate form of _Quincy Letzt Stil_," said Ishida, pointing his cannon at Azrael.

"Whoa, that is really sweet looking Ishida," commented Ichigo. "But, I can do better than that." Ichigo grinned as he summoned both of his Bankai swords into his hands before staring at Azrael. "Azrael, I'm going to show my _true _power."

"YOU STILL HAVE A TRANSFORMATION UP YOUR SLEEVE? GO AHEAD AND DO IT! THERE IS NO WAY YOU CAN MATCH MUCH LESS SURPASS MY POWER!" laughed the demon like Azrael in an insane voice. Ichigo closed his eyes and transferred a portion of his mind into his inner world.

"_Zangetsu, Engetsu, it is time_," Ichigo communicated with his Zanpakuto spirits.

"_We are ready to begin Ichigo_," said Zangetsu.

"_It's about damn time_," grinned Engetsu. "_Let's scare the pants out of that bastard Azrael_." At this moment, the spirits of Zangetsu and Engetsu materialized in outside world as ghostly apparitions. When Azrael saw them his eyes widened in shock and astonishment.

_Those spirits…I've seen them before, _thought Azrael. His mind suddenly flashed back to the time when he was defeated and sent to hell by Shiba Mamoru. _That damned Mamoru wielded a similar blade to this brat, and he showed me a Zanpakuto spirit who looked exactly like the spirit on the right._ Azrael gasped in horror when he finally joined the dots together.

"NO...YOU COULDN'T BE…MY GREATEST NEMESIS…SHIBA MAMORU REBORN?" asked a terrified Azrael.

"So what if I am? I don't care so much about my lineage or ancestry. I'm just Kurosaki Ichigo, the man who's going to beat you." With that, Ichigo slammed both of his Bankai swords together. As the two swords fused, an intense aura of golden spirit pressure engulfed Ichigo's body. The aura was so intense that it expanded to cover nearly a quarter of the room and shot up like a column all the way into the sky. After ten seconds the aura dissipated, and Ichigo emerged completely transformed. He was now dressed in a completely new Shihakusho, one that was a shining gold in colour, and embossed with numerous arcane runes. His hair had grown down past his shoulders and turned a bright yellow in colour. Instead of two swords, Ichigo now only wielded one in his right hand. It was the same design as _Tensa Zangetsu_, except it was gold in colour, and its guard was now an intricate fusion of _Tensa Zangetsu's_ manji and _Tensa Engetsu's_ yin-yang symbol. Ichigo pointed his new Bankai sword at Azrael.

"This is _Tensa Zengetsu_, the ultimate fusion of both of my Bankais," said Ichigo.

"WHAT…YOU'VE FUSED TWO BANKAIS TOGETHER? THAT IS RIDUCLOUS!" snarled Azrael. "NO SHINIGAMI IS CAPABLE OF DOING THAT!"

"You have no time to ponder how we did it, for our attack begins now," said Ishida. The Quincy drew back the handle on top of his cannon with his left hand. This caused both the flaming quiver on his right shoulder and the barrel of the cannon to start gathering reishi particles from the entire chamber. Whole chunks of solid rubble nearby disintegrated and were drawn towards Ishida. Soon the entire room was bathed with blue spirit particles that were slowly being channeled towards the Quincy. It was sight that astounded Azrael.

_What is this? He's gathering all of the reishi in the air and the ground towards him! He's bending all of the spirit particles in this realm to his will_! Azrael was so entranced in his thoughts that he failed to notice that even the skin on his body was slowly being ripped away from him. _This…can't be happening! He's sucking even the particles that make up my body?_

"DARN YOU QUINCY!" screamed Azrael in rage. The demon prince opened his mouth and shot out a powerful red energy blast at Ishida. Before the blast could hit its target, Ichigo flash stepped in front of his friend. With a single flick of his sword Ichigo succeeded in completely dissipating the blast. Seeing his most powerful attack being instantly cancelled caused Azrael to go into a furious spasm. He clenched his fists so hard that blood started flowing them.

"I AM AZRAEL, THE ULTIMATE BEING!" Azrael jumped into the air and got behind Ichigo and Ishida, in an attempt to stomp both of them. Before he could even land a kick, Azrael's right foot was grabbed by Ichigo's left hand. Ichigo then effortlessly threw Azrael over his shoulder, sending the hulking giant hurtling towards the left wall of the King's Chamber. As Azrael slammed into the wall, the force of the impact caused the entire wall to crumble to pieces, exposing the rest of the Royal Palace. When Azrael finally climbed out of the rubble and stood up, Ishida had finished gathering the spirit particles he needed. The Quincy pointed his cannon directly at Azrael's body.

"This is the end for you Azrael. I've gathering over a trillion spirit particles inside this cannon of mine. And I'm going to hit you with every single one of them," said Ishida. Azrael trembled with horror as he saw the front of Ishida's cannon light up.

"NOOOO!" screamed Azrael. He tried to stop the cannon from firing but it was too late.

"_Gotterdammerung_," said Ishida, as he pressed down on the trigger. In instant a gargantuan beam of blue spirit energy shot out from the cannon's barrel. The beam quickly engulfed Azrael's body before expanding to cover the entire width and height of the chamber. Ichigo and Ishida watched as the beam vaporized a twenty kilometer long section of the Royal Palace before disappearing into the void beyond.

"Did I get him?" asked Ishida. As the smoking remnants of his attack dissipated, the figure of Azrael emerged with a gaping hole in the centre of his body.

"URGH…I'M NOT FINISHED YET!" yelled Azrael.

"Damn He's still alive! I can't charge my beam fast enough!" exclaimed Ishida.  
"Finish him off Kurosaki!"

"You don't need to tell me to do that." Ichigo raised his sword above his head and channeled all of his spirit energy into it. _Tensa Zengetsu_ lit up brightly, before shooting a solid beam of golden spirit energy high into the sky. Azrael's eyes bulged outwards in horror as he saw the towering beam of energy. It reminded him of the exact same attack Mamoru had used to kill him so many years before.

"THIS…THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!" screamed Azrael.

"_Shining Getsuga Tensho_," said Ichigo. With a single stroke he brought down his blade, causing the immense beam of energy to slice through nearly half of the Royal Palace. Azrael was completely cut in half by the beam as Ichigo shot it outwards into the bottomless void beneath the palace. Ichigo watched as the two halves of the demonic prince toppled over onto the ground.

"He surely must be finished now," said Ishida.

"I'm not so confident about that Ishida," said Ichigo. "There is a chance he could come back again." Sure enough, just as Ichigo finished speaking, the remnants of Azrael's body started glowing.

"Son of a bitch! He's still alive!" swore Ishida in dismay. "Doesn't anything faze this guy?" Unlike the last time however, Azrael's body didn't immediately begin to regenerate. Instead, much to Ichigo and Ishida's surprise, the two halves of the body disintegrated. Then a pulsating black orb appeared out of nowhere. A humanoid body grew outwards from the orb. First the lower body and legs, then the arms, and finally a head with the face of Azrael appeared. When the transformation was complete, the dark prince stood before Ichigo and Ishida in an incredible new body. His skin was entirely black in colour and made out of some sort of strange metallic substance. He was completely naked except for a codpiece at the tip of his waist. A long trail of hair that ran down to his hips were the only vestiges left of his former form.

"I can't fell his reiatsu anymore," said Ishida.

"Neither can I. Does this mean he's evolved to an even higher level than we are?" asked Ichigo. The two men watched nervously as the new dark form of Azrael smiled.

"**I thank you, Shinigami and Quincy,**" said Azrael in a calm voice that nevertheless exuded dark malice. "**Without your help I would never have attained this ultimate state. I have become the dark god of this Universe. I stand now on an even higher plane of existence than even the former Spirit King Izanagi at the height of his power!**"

"This is bad. If neither of us can sense his reiatsu, then he's not joking about being on a higher level than us," said Ichigo.

"What should we do now Ichigo? If he's at an entirely new level compared to us then we don't stand a chance!" exclaimed Ishida.

"**You are absolutely correct, heir of Siegfried. The two of you pests may have caused me trouble before. But now you are nothing more than ants before me**." Azrael pointed his right finger at Ishida and fired a single beam of dark spirit energy. The beam bore of a huge hole in Ishida's chest and stomach area before drilling through the walls of the Royal Palace and disappearing into the horizon.

"Urgh…damn you," croaked Ishida, spurting out from his mouth. The Quincy fell face down upon the ground, as a large amount of blood flowed from the hole in his body.

"Ishida!" yelled Ichigo. Before he could tend to his fallen friend his path was blocked by Azrael.

"**You are next, son of Shiba Isshin**," said Azrael. With a single punch Azrael sent Ichigo flying backwards towards the right side wall of the King's Chamber. Ichigo hit the wall and fell into the ground. As he got back up Ichigo's eyes widened in horror as Azrael fired a massive blast of dark spirit energy at him. The blast was so massive that it completely vaporized a twenty kilometer long portion of the Royal Palace from top to bottom, leaving nothing but a vast chasm behind.

"Urgh…Kurosaki…" groaned Ishida. It was taking all of his willpower and concentration to stay conscious despite having lost a massive amount of blood from his body. As he lay on the ground he slowly used _Ransotengai_ to heal the hole in his chest. "Damn it, if only I could still fight…"

When the smoke cleared Ichigo appeared again, with his arms covering his head and chest. All of the clothes on his upper body had been blown off, leaving him in a pair of ragged and torn pants. His arms, chest and back were horribly burnt to the point where they were scorched black. Large amounts of blood dripped down his body and pooled together around his feet. Despite his injuries however, Ichigo was still standing. Azrael was impressed.

"**You are still alive, Kurosaki Ichigo?" **asked Azrael. "**I thought for sure that my attack would kill you.**"

Ichigo lowered his arms, exposing his blackened face. He gripped his Bankai sword tightly as he panted heavily.

"**Are you still intending to fight? You should know that it is pointless to resist. I have already won. The Spirit King is dead. The Gotei 13 and the Royal Guard are no more. Soul Society has been destroyed by my hand. Why don't you just give up and let me end this world?**"

"Why should I give up when there is still hope left?" asked Ichigo. "It is not over yet Azrael. I'm far from finished. If you're going to destroy the Spirit Throne, you'll have to do it over my dead body."

"**Why you!**" Azrael was about to attack Ichigo in anger when all of a sudden he sensed a massive surge of reiatsu coming from Ichigo. _What, what is this spiritual pressure? It is as great…no it exceeds even my own! How is this possible?_

As Ichigo's eyes burned with resolve, a shining white column of light came down from the heavens and engulfed his body. At this moment, Zangetsu and Engetsu, his two Zanpakuto spirits, appeared beside him again.

"Are you finally going to use 'that' Ichigo?" asked Zangetsu.

"Yeah. It looks like I have no choice but to use it. I didn't think Azrael would get this strong," said Ichigo.

"Don't worry Ichigo. If we combine our powers there is no one that can defeat us," smiled Engetsu. "Let's do it, the _Mugen Getsuga Tensho_." Ichigo nodded. He closed his eyes as Engetsu and Zangetsu held onto both of this hands. When all three of them were ready, the two Zanpakutos initiated the ritual for the final power Ichigo had mastered in the Dangai, the _Mugen Getsuga Tensho_. In an instant the two spirits merged with Ichigo, causing an enormous explosion of spirit energy that blasted even Azrael far away. The column of white light doubled in size and began pulsating.

"**What…what the hell is this?**" asked a shocked Azrael. The dark prince could only watch the spectacular transformation unfolding before him. When the column of light subsided, Ichigo emerged again surrounded by a shimmering aura of white spirit energy. His entire body had been completely transformed. His chest and arms were covered with bluish-white bandages while the pants he was wearing had also turned white in colour. His hair had grown all the way down to his knees and had turned white in colour. Golden flame like markings covered the top of his arms, his shoulders and the sides of his face. His eyes were now a shimmering blue in colour. Massive swirls of white reiatsu continuously flowered around his arms and body, while the air around him crackled with electricity.

"Whoa, that is amazing," said Ishida in awe. "Kurosaki's gotten so powerful that I can't even feel his reiatsu anymore." While Ishida was impressed by Ichigo's transformation, Azrael was perplexed and shocked by it.

"**How, how did you get so powerful, son of Shiba Isshin? No mere mortal could reach the same level as I am!"** shouted Azrael angrily.

"Are you angry that I've accomplished something which took you five hundreds to achieve so easily?" asked Ichigo. "Or are you feeling despair at seeing a human surpass you in power?"

"**DON'T YOU DARE MOCK ME!" **screamed Azrael in a rage. With a surge of black reiatsu, Azrael flew towards Ichigo and lashed out at him with his right fist. Ichigo blocked the attack with his left hand, and stopped Azrael in his tracks. The force of the collision caused a shockwave of energy that rippled through the entire palace in an instant. Numerous walls crumbled, the columns at the front entrance of the palace toppled over, while the roof of the King's Chamber completely caved in, clearly exposing the sky above.

"What power…" croaked Ishida. He had to raise a barrier around himself to avoid being blown away. When he looked up again, he saw that Ichigo was gripping onto to Azrael's right fist. In desperate Azrael tried punching with his left fist, but that was also blocked by Ichigo.

"**I will kill you Kurosaki Ichigo!**" shouted Azrael in rage. Ichigo responded by kneeing him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. As Azrael doubled over in pain, Ichigo punched him hard in the face. The force the punch sent him flying for over five kilometres until the dark prince skidded dangerously close to the other end of the Royal Palace.

"Amazing, with just one punch…" said Ishida. He couldn't believe that Ichigo was overpowering Azrael with sheer physical strength alone. It took Azrael some time to get up from the ground. Blood was flowing from his nose and mouth. When he saw his own blood, Azrael went berserk. In a burst of reiatsu the dark prince came flying backwards at massively hypersonic speed and head butted Ichigo in the stomach. The two immensely powerful combatants flew outwards from the Royal Palace for about ten kilometers before Ichigo was able to stop Azrael's flight by slamming down on his head with his right elbow. Ichigo then flash stepped to a spot some hundred kilometers above the Royal Palace in a single second. It took a few more seconds for Azrael to find him. The dark prince let out a bestial howl before flying towards Ichigo.

As he neared Ichigo Azrael summoned a black katana in his right hand. Ichigo responded by summoning a similar white sword in his right hand. When Azrael finally reached Ichigo he struck out with his sword. Ichigo countered with a similar swing. The two attacks met in a colossal clash of energy that shook the entire dimension of the King's Realm. The shockwaves created from the collision were so powerful that each wave caused whole chunks of the Royal Palace to collapse and crumble. Soon only the central portion of the palace containing the King's Chamber and the front entrance was still intact. After the initial clash of power, Ichigo and Azrael began a furious and frantic exchange of sword blows that encompassed the whole dimension of the King's Realm.

Down in remains of the King's Chamber, Ishida finished healing the wound in his chest and stood up. With a clear view of the sky above, he tried to observe Ichigo's fight. But all he could see were a series of blurs and lights, followed by the sound of loud explosions.

"Man, I can't even see them. They must be fighting at hundreds of times the speed of sound," said Ishida. The Quincy stopped looking for a moment and bowed his head down in shame. Ichigo and Azrael were so far above him that he could do nothing but watch and hope for the best. "You'd better win Ichigo!"

After a mid-air explosion more powerful than the previous ones, Ishida saw something fall from the sky at incredible speeds. A split second later the figure of Azrael crashed through the centre of the King's Chamber and fell tens of kilometres down into the bottomless void below.

"Is he gone?" asked Ishida. His question was answered when he saw a shining black light coming rapidly towards him. Ishida barely managed to get out of the way as a furious Azrael came flying back towards the sky above. As he cleared the top of the Royal Palace Azrael charged a significant portion of his spirit energy into a concentrated energy ball in his right hand.

"**Take this Kurosaki Ichigo!**"shouted Azrael. He fired the energy ball at Ichigo. Ichigo saw the attack coming but was barely fazed by it. With a single swing of his materialized sword Ichigo batted it dozens of kilometers away. As the energy ball exploded in a distant blaze of light, Azrael tried to use the brief distraction to get behind Ichigo.

"**I've got you now Kurosaki Ichigo!**" laughed Azrael as he raised his sword for a killing blow. Ichigo however, reacted instantly, turning around and landing an upwards vertical slash that almost split Azrael in half, and caused a fountain of dark blood to spurt out from his body. The shock of the injury forced Azrael to flash step backwards. Though the wound he received started regenerating immediately, Azrael was nevertheless panting heavily. As he finished regenerating, the dark prince clenched both his fists tightly and started building up his reiatsu to an incredible level. A spherical aura of black spirit energy formed around his body.

"**I will accept this…I WILL NOT ACCEPT THIS!**" screamed a furious Azrael. He charged head on at Ichigo without thinking. Ichigo formed an aura of energy around his own body and stopped Azrael's flight. The two titans were then locked in another clash of swords, their respective auras of energy pushing against each other in a struggle for supremacy that shook the entire dimension. Lightning and tornadoes started forming around them as the King's Realm itself was beginning to shatter from the sheer power the two men possessed.

"**Why, why do you stop me Kurosaki Ichigo? Can you not see that my goal is righteous?**" asked Azrael angrily.

"I don't get you at all. Why are you so desperate to destroy everything? You were once a Royal Prince weren't you? You must have lived a life that normal humans would only have dreamed of," said Ichigo.

"**Don't you dare criticize me! You think I enjoyed the life I had before? I was shunned and despised by everyone in my family! And this empty place, this soulless prison, could you imagine growing up and living here for the whole of your existence? I hated them, my family, all of their servants, and everything associated with this place, I hated them all!**" Azrael pointed his left index finger at Ichigo's face.

"**Kurosaki Ichigo, you have lived a similar existence to me, so you should understand my feelings! You've see for yourself how corrupt Soul Society is. You know about the atrocities the Shinigami have committed, the same Shinigami who were meant to protect all souls! And you have directly experienced the iron hand of the nobility who rule under the King's name. Surely you must understand why Soul Society needs to be destroyed! The Gotei 13, the Central 46, the Nobility, all of these symbols of the old order, they are not worth saving! Everything must be eradicated so that things can start over again!"**

"My god would you shut the fuck up?" Ichigo shouted at Azrael's face. He had listened to the prince's diatribe and had grown tired of it. "You don't need to tell me that Soul Society has its problems. And I have experienced the same despair and agony as you. But unlike you I'm not a coward, or a quitter."

"**What do you mean Kurosaki Ichigo? Are you saying I am a coward!**"

"That's exactly what I'm saying! Only a coward would think of giving up and destroying everything when confronted with a system and a society they hate. A true man would fight the society and the system head on, and use their powers to change everything for the better. That's what I did. I fought the laws of Soul Society and I won. I made Soul Society changed for the better. You could have done the same thing, just like your son Aizen did."

"**You dare compare me with my failure of a son? Sousuke was an incompetent fool who couldn't even accomplish the orders I gave him!**"

"He was a braver man than you'll ever be! His methods may have been evil but he wanted to change Soul Society for the better just I did! He never thought of giving up like you!"

Ichigo's last words sent Azrael berserk. The dark prince let out a howling scream that blew Ichigo down towards the palace below.

"**I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF KUROSAKI ICHIGO! I CANNOT STAND YOUR PRESENCE! I'LL DESTROY YOU, THE SPIRIT THRONE, AND EVERYTHING ELSE!" **Azrael raised both of his hands above his head and channeled all of his spirit energy into them. He started forming an enormous ball of black spirit energy. From the size of a basketball, the ball quickly expanded until it was over fifty metres across. The power it contained shocked even Ichigo.

"My god, that thing has enough power to vaporize the Royal Palace in one go," said Ichigo. "He really intends to destroy everything."

"**DIE, KUROSAKI ICHIGO! **_**SHITSUNEN DAMA**_**!**" Azrael threw the immense ball of energy he created down at Ichigo. Despite its size, the ball still moved at an incredible speed. It quickly slammed into Ichigo and pushed him down towards the Royal Palace below.

Down in the King's Chamber, Ishida saw the giant ball of energy falling from the sky and panicked.

"We're doomed! How could anyone stop that attack?" asked Ishida. Just as he was about to lose hope, Ishida suddenly saw the figure of Ichigo, standing out from the black sphere as a speck of white light.

"Kurosaki!" yelled Ishida as he saw his friend struggling to stop the downward flight of the ball.

From high above in the sky, Azrael watched with absolute delight as his attack reached the top of the Royal Palace.

"**Ha, ha, ha, this is it! This is the end I've been waiting for!" **the dark prince laughed. Little did Azrael know that his attack had already been stopped in its tracks. Ichigo had succeeded in completely halting the momentum of the energy sphere. Now he was holding the sphere up with his hands alone.

"You did it Kurosaki!" exclaimed Ishida.

"Not yet Ishida. I have to send this thing back to that bastard," said Ichigo with a smile. With a burst of reiatsu and flexing of his muscles, Ichigo punched the energy sphere hard with his right fist. The force of his punch was enough to send the sphere hurtling into the sky, on a trajectory that would send it flying straight back towards its master. When Azrael saw it coming he initially gasped in surprised, but then his face contorted into an expression of anger and outrage.

"**OH NO YOU DON'T!**" shouted Azrael. He extended out his right arm and with a gesture of his hand caused the sphere of energy to detonate. This created a titanic explosion that quickly expanded to engulf the entire Royal Palace and continued to grow until it became a gargantuan black fireball almost a hundred kilometers across. The force of the explosion was so powerful that its effects could be felt far outside the King's Realm

* * *

At this moment, in the ruins of Seireitei, Rukia, Urahara and Orihime had largely finished recovering and healing all of the people who had survived the destruction of the city. The three of them were about to begin the process of reviving those who had died when the whole ground started shaking violently with the force of a magnitude ten earthquake. The vibrations were so violent that the ground itself began to liquefy and deform, and gaping fissures tens of kilometers long appeared all over the vast expanses of Rukongai.

"It feels like the entire earth is shaking," said a worried Orihime. "What's going on?" The others all had the same thoughts as they struggled to keep their footing as the world was crumbling around them.

"If this keeps up, the whole of Soul Society will be destroyed," said Urahara. The vibrations became stronger and soon everyone except for Rukia was forced to the ground. The reincarnated Princess somehow withstood the tremors but even she was finding it hard to stay standing.

"Ichigo…" she said.

* * *

"**HA, HA, HA, THIS IS IT! THIS IS THE END TO EVERYTHING!**" laughed an insane Azrael as he watched the colossal explosion he created enfold before his eyes. He no longer cared if he himself perished so as long as the Spirit Throne was destroyed.

Much to Azrael's surprise, the explosion started subsiding and within a few seconds had faded away. The dark prince wondered what was going on.

"**Strange, my **_**Shitsunen Dama**_** should have packed enough power to destroy this entire dimension**," said Azrael. "**Well, no matter. I should have at least destroyed the Spirit Throne**."

To Azrael's utter dismay, the last remnants of the explosion cleared to reveal a still intact Royal Palace with the Spirit Throne completely unharmed.

"**IMPOSSIBLE! THE SPIRIT THRONE IS STILL STANDING?" **The dark prince could not believe that his attack had failed.

Inside the King's Chamber, a battered and bruised Ishida was equally surprised to see that he was alive. As he clambered out of the rubble, he immediately saw the figure of Ichigo hovering near the destroyed roof of the Royal Palace. His friend's body was covered with blood.

"Are you alright Kurosaki?" asked Ishida.

"Yeah I'm fine. It looks like last minute force field actually worked," said Ichigo with a grin.

"That's a relief. I really thought it was all over when that bastard detonated his own attack." The two men glanced up at the sky, as a shell-shocked Azrael slowly descended towards them. Ichigo could feel the anger and rage in the dark prince's heart.

"**WHY, WHY CAN I NOT DEFEAT YOU KUROSAKI ICHIGO?**" screamed Azrael in a voice loud enough to echo throughout the entire King's Realm. Ichigo waited until Azrael was only a few hundred metres above the Royal Palace before he responded.

"You want to why you cannot defeat me Azrael?" asked Ichigo in a calm but loud voice. "I'll tell you why. It is because you are alone. You have no friends or loved ones to protect, and no one to support you or provide you with the motivation to win."

"**What difference do friends or family to protect make?**" asked Azrael in a frantic voice. "**Do you seriously think having them makes you stronger?**"

"Yeah. It is because of my nakama that I've been able to become this strong. Their voices have never left me. In fact, I can hear them at this moment."

* * *

In the centre of Seireitei, the surviving members of the Gotei 13 along with several others got onto their feet again as they recovered from the powerful earthquakes that had struck Soul Society. All of them were glad that they were still alive.

"Man, I thought the world was going to end," said Renji.

"Where did those earthquakes come from?" asked Sui Feng.

"I believe they originated from the Heart of Seireitei," said Urahara. "Or possibly even from the King's Realm itself." The other surviving captains, along with Yoruichi and Rukia knew what was going on at this moment.

"Is Kurosaki Ichigo still fighting the one called Azrael at this moment?" asked Byakuya. Urahara nodded.

"I wonder what's happening down there. It's been nearly an hour since Ichigo and his friend Ishida descended down that hole," said Yoruichi.

"Ichigo is still alive," said Rukia with a firm smile on her face. "And he's still fighting Tsukuyomi down there." Karin and Yuzu, who had been clinging onto Rukia's side ever since they were rescued, were heartened by news that their brother was okay.

"Is Onii-chan going to win?" asked Yuzu. Her question was one that was shared by everyone who was standing around Rukia. All of them had a personal connection to Ichigo, either as family members, as friends, as former rivals, as mentors, or as colleagues. In some form or another, Ichigo had changed their lives forever. Despite the devastation they had suffered and the tragedies they had all experienced, the only thing they were thinking of at this moment was Ichigo's victory.

* * *

Ichigo was not lying about his ability to hear his friends and family who were in Seireitei. As he started building up reiatsu in his body, he could hear numerous voices cheering him on.

"_Kurosaki-kun! Kurosaki! Kurosaki Ichigo. Onii-chan! Kurosaki-san. Ichi-nii! Ichigo!"_ shouted the voices into Ichigo's head. The voices were followed by the faces of Orihime, Renji, Byakuya, Yuzu, Karin and Urahara, and many others, with the final face being the person he cherished the most: Rukia. All of them had one message to say to him: _"WIN!_"

Ichigo's eyes burned up with resolve as he summoned a spiritual sword in his hand pointed it at Azrael. He began pouring all of his immense spirit energy and reiatsu in to it, forming a small but super dense ball of energy at the sword's tip.

"You want to know what all of my nakama are telling me at this moment, Azrael? They're telling to beat you," said Ichigo. "And that's exactly I'm going to do. I'm going to hit you with everything I've got. This is the end for you."

"**YOU…YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS! I AM AZRAEL! I AM AN INVINCIBLE GOD!" **The being once known as Prince Tsukuyomi tried a last desperate attempt at preventing the inevitable. It was in vain. Ichigo finished charging all of his spirit energy.

"_Tengetsu_." With that single word, Ichigo fired an unfathomable amount of spirit energy at Azrael in the form of a gargantuan beam of white light. Azrael tried to dodge it at the last second but the beam of light easily consumed him, and the dark prince howled a final bestial howl as he was consumed utterly by Ichigo's attack. Having devoured its target, the _Tengetsu_ proceeded to expand outwards to engulf the entire dimension of the King's Realm in a radiant glow of light. Even that wasn't enough to contain the full force of the energy beam, for in an incredible display of power, the _Tengetsu_ burst through the spherical portal in the middle of the Heart of Seireitei and shot upwards, traversing the six thousand kilometres from the Heart to the surface of Soul Society in a matter of seconds. As it reached the surface, it burst out from the hole in the middle of Seireitei as a blazing of column of yellow light. Finally, the _Tengetsu_ disappeared into the skies above, in a sight that could be seen by every single soul in Soul Society. For those who witnessed it, it would be a moment that they would never forget for the rest of their lives.

* * *

Comments

Like chapter 67, the title of this chapter makes a reference to Warcraft 3, namely the final mission of that game's Night Elf Campaign, where the humans, orcs and night elfs teamed up to stop Archimonde from destroying the World Tree. The reference is fitting considering the subject material of this chapter, which covers Azrael's final attempt to destroy the Spirit Throne and with it all of Soul Society.

As the final battle in the story, Ichigo and Ishida's fight against Azrael sees the greatest displays of power ever seen in the Bleach Universe. I tried however to base the powers and abilities shown in this chapter on exisitng concepts and techniques from the Bleach manga.

*Azrael's Second Bankai form (Demon Lord Azrael): Azrael's second Bankai form draws a lot from the daemons from Warhammer, the Balrog from Lord of the Rings, but also elements of Ulquiorra's Second Resurrecion. I tried to make his appearance as bestial and frightening as possible, and, for the first time in his story, I gave his voice a distinctive written style in that all of his dialogue is represented by capital letters. In a way, this form of Azrael represents the completion of his fall from heaven and embrace of the dark powers of hell.

*Ishida's Quincy Letzt Stil: The design of Ishida's Ultimate Final Form contains elements from the previous time he went final form, as well as from his father's final form design. Ishida's arm cannon is meant to reflect Ichigo's Final Getsuga Tensho in that both of them have concentrate the majority of their respective user's power into their right arms.

*Tensa Zengetsu (Ichigo's Fused Bankai): This is the ultimate product of Ichigo fusing his two Bankais Tensa Zangetsu and Tensa Engetsu together, thus allowing him to access the combined power of both his Zanpakutos at the same time. This power-up is basically similar to how Hollow Ichigo and Zangetsu fused into one being when Ichigo was learning the Final Getsuga Tensho in the manga.

*Gottedamerung: This is Ishida's ultimate technique. Like his other techniques, the name of this move is based on Richard Wagner's Der Ring Des Niebelung, namely the title of Wagner's last Opera. Gotterdammerung is a fitting name considering that it a German translation of the Old Norse word Ragnarok and means "Twilight of the Gods" in English, in a shout out to the title of this chapter.

*Shining Getsuga Tensho: I couldn't really be bothered to give Ichigo's Ultimate Getsuga Tensho an original name, since it is basically an uber powerful Getsuga Tensho. Its appearance is very similar to the GT that Ichigo fired in his Hell Knight form in the Fourth Bleach Movie. The nature of this technique is similar to Mugetsu in that it is a cutting attack on a massive scale.

*Azrael's Final Bankai form (Dark God Azrael): The design of Azrael's final form contains elements of both Final Form Hougyoku Aizen as well Freeza's final form in dbz. This form also naturally follows the 'Bishonen line' trope common to a lot of mangas where the villain, after transforming into a grotesque monster, assumes a more humanoid appearance for his ultimate state. Like his Demon Lord Form, I also gave Dark God Azrael a distinctive voice, with all of his dialogue in bold font.

*Shitsunen Dama(失念玉): Means "Oblivion Sphere" in Japanese. This is Azrael's ultimate attack that was intended to destroy all of the King's Realm. The appearance of this attack and how Azrael fires it was probably inspired by Freeza's Death Ball and Majin's Buu planet destroying attack from DBZ.

*Mugen Getsuga Tensho: This is Ichigo's ultimate final form. Mugen means 'infinite' in Japanese, which is a fitting name since this is basically a perfected version of Final Getsuga Tensho, which in this story is Ichigo's version of the Ultimate Bankai Form, Keshin. With MGT, Ichigo does not lose all of his Shinigami Powers, and can access a higher level of power than even the FGT offered.

*Tengetsu(天月): Means "Heavenly Moon" in Japanese. This is Ichigo's ultimate attack, and represents a perfected version of the Mugetsu he used in FGT. As can been seen from the end of this chapter, this attack is by far the most powerful in the entire story. I also ensured that the final outcome of this technique would be witnessed by all of Ichigo's friends, unlike the Mugetsu he used on Aizen, which wasn't seen by anyone.


	69. Chapter 69: The Spirit Throne

Bleach: The Afterlife Saga

*Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters. All the characters mentioned in this story, with the exception of OCs, are the property of Kubo Tite.

I must admit was astonished by the feedback I received for the previous chapter. The final battle of the story certainly attracted a lot of comments. Most of the comments were positive but I guess there were a few people who did not like how the last chapter ended. I accept all of the critical feedback I received, since my story is by no mean perfect. However, I do appreciate all of the people who made an effort to follow this story until now and send in comments. Without your support I may not have had the motivation to get to this point, the second last chapter of this story. This chapter, and the chapter after this will conclude this story in a way that I hope will satisfy all readers, fans and non-fans of Bleach alike.

* * *

Chapter 69: The Spirit Throne

As the bright light of the _Tengetsu_ slowly faded away, the dark eerie clouds that had blanketed the sky of the King's Realm parted, revealing a clear blue sky. A bright light analogous to the sun started shining overhead. A beam of that light shone down through the destroyed roof of the King's Realm and onto the floor of the King's Chamber. Hovering in the middle of that beam was Ichigo. He was still pointing upwards at the sky with the spiritual sword he was holding in his right hand.

"It's done," said Ichigo with a sigh of relief. He finally lowered his right arm and de-summoned the spiritual sword. Then he slowly lowered himself to the floor of the King's Chamber. As he dropped down his body underwent a transformation back into his normal form. The long ankle length white hair he had before reverted back to his normal shoulder-length orange hair. The bluish-white cloth armour that had covered his upper body disintegrated, and the golden-flame like markings on his arms, shoulders and face disappeared. Finally his two Bankai Zanpakuto re-materialized in his hands, as the fusion Ichigo had achieved with them ended. He was now topless, wearing nothing except for a tattered black hakama.

"Is…it over?" asked a voice from behind. Ichigo turned around and saw Ishida limping towards him. The Quincy was covered with bruises but was otherwise fine. Ichigo gave him a hand, allowing his friend to lean on him.

"I don't feel a single trace of Azrael's reiatsu. My _Tengetsu_ must have really disintegrated his entire body," said Ichigo.

"Then we've done it. We've finally defeated Azrael." Ishida smiled happily.

Ichigo and Ishida's joy was short lived however, when large gusts of wind started blowing around them from all directions.

"What…what is this wind?" asked Ishida. He and Ichigo frantically looked around as the wind gusts started converging at a single point slightly above the roof of the Royal Palace. After a few seconds numerous dust particles could be seen swirling around an intense formation of wind gusts. As a worried Ichigo and Ishida observed the bizarre sight carefully, their eyes widened in horror when they saw the particles expand and merge together until they started taking on a humanoid shape.

"It…it can't be!" exclaimed a stunned Ichigo. He couldn't believe his eyes as the black humanoid shape gradually morphed into a familiar figure-a man with long brown hair and wearing a tattered white kimono. Neither Ichigo nor Ishida could believe their eyes. Their archenemy Azrael had somehow survived Ichigo's final attack.

"I don't believe it. How could any being have survived such a giant energy blast?" asked Ishida. "It's like your attack didn't affect him at all. Is he truly immortal?" Ichigo observed Azrael's body for a moment, and realized something.

"I think my _Tengetsu_ did have an effect on him," said Ichigo. "He's somehow been restored to his original appearance. He's no longer transcendent anymore."

Mere moments after his body finished regenerating, Azrael plummeted towards the ground and fell flat onto his stomach. The fallen prince had his face pressed against the floor, as if he was being weighed down by an invisible force.

"You're right Kurosaki, he can't even withstand our reiatsu anymore. He's definitely weakened now," said Ishida. The two men watched in amusement as Azrael tried desperately to stand up. Bands of sweat were clearly visible on his face.

"My destiny…you cannot me my destiny…Kurosaki Ichigo!" yelled Azrael in an insane voice. Despite being completely outmatched in power, the prince staggered towards Ichigo and Ishida, as if he was still determined to kill them.

"He still hasn't given up?" asked an incredulous Ishida.

"I will never be…defeated!" A completely deranged Azrael tried to make a final mad charge at Ichigo. Before he could even take a single step, he was stopped in his tracks by a massive spiritual disturbance in the air around him. For a second, Ichigo and Ishida wondered what was going on. The two of them then gasped in astonishment when they saw a huge set of gates appear behind Azrael. Over a hundred metres high, the ominous red gates were held together by a set of golden chains and adorned by the frightening visages of two giant skeletons with bandaged heads.

"What…what is that thing?" asked a shocked Ishida.

"That's…the Gates of Hell," said Ichigo. His mind flashed back to the supernatural even that occurred after he defeated the hollow Shrieker.

"The Gates of Hell?"

"I don't know much about them I'm afraid." Ichigo and Ishida watched as the gates started to open, revealing a swirling red portal from beyond. At this moment a terrified Azrael started shouting and screaming as he realized what was going on.

"No! I don't want to go back there! I don't want to go back! Someone save me!" He fell onto his hands and knees and tried to crawl towards Ichigo and Ishida. Before he could manage a single step he was restrained by numerous black chains that emerged from the gates and wrapped themselves tightly around his body. However much he struggled, Azrael could not free himself and was gradually pulled towards the gates.

Just then, a towering giant emerged from the gates wielding a massive blade in his right hand. He had the face of an old man with a long white beard and moustache, and a pair of red demonic eyes. He was dressed in a lavish golden kimono and a pair of sandals, and had a large black crown on his head.

"Whoa, who is this guy? Is he a messenger from hell?" asked Ishida. Ichigo looked at the man closely, and tried to remember something he had heard from Azrael himself in the cave beneath Mount Fuji.

"I think he's…Enma, the King of Hell," said Ichigo.

"The King of Hell? What is he doing here?" Ishida's question was answered when the giant man bellowed in a loud voice.

"TSUKUYOMI! I HAVE COME FOR YOU!" shouted King Enma.

"No…don't take me back there please…I don't want to go back to Jigoku again!" screamed Azrael in a desperate, almost crying tone of voice.

"SILENCE! YOU SHALL PAY FOR THE SINS YOU HAVE COMMITTED! FOR THE CRIMES OF DESTROYING MY PALACE, STEALING MY PERSONAL GUARDS, AND ESCAPING MY REALM, YOU SHALL EXPERIENCE AN ETERNITY OF TORMENT!"

Ichigo and Ishida gasped as they saw the King of Hell thrust out his sword and impale Azrael upon it. The giant king then retreated back through the portal, dragging a kicking and screaming Azrael with him. Soon afterwards the Gates of Hell slammed shut, before disappearing. For a while afterwards, neither Ichigo nor Ishida could say a word or move at all. Both were too stunned at what they had witnessed.

"Tell me it's finally over Kurosaki," said Ishida.

"Yeah, I think it's definitely over this time. That bastard has finally gotten the punishment he deserves," smiled Ichigo.

* * *

The final conclusive defeat of Azrael was felt by every being throughout Soul Society and the world of the living. In the ruins of Seireitei, the surviving members of the Gotei 13, having witnessed the remarkable column of light that had shot out from deep below the ground, started celebrating, as all of them knew in their hearts that it was over.

"It's finally over isn't it?" asked Rukia as she stood beside Urahara. "My brother Tsukuyomi is dead." Urahara nodded.

"My mission is finally complete," said the 12th division captain. Rukia was about to ask what Urahara was talking about, when all of a sudden she saw his body glow brightly. The bright golden light disappeared a few moments later, leaving Rukia wondering what had happened. She watched as Urahara took a few steps forward and looked up to the sky.

"Goodbye Susano-o Shinno. May you forever rest in peace."

* * *

At the same moment, in the bedroom of a townhouse apartment that had miraculously survived the eruption of Mount Fuji, Sado 'Chad' Yasutora opened his eyes. He had been in a deep coma and was on the verge of death barely half a day ago, but his body had somehow willed itself to recover so that he would regain consciousness at this moment. Chad didn't know what was going on, but in his heart he knew that Ichigo had done something extraordinary.

"Ichigo…" said Chad, as he stared out the window.

* * *

Back in the ruins of the Royal Palace, Ichigo and Ishida took stock of the situation they were in. Having seen Azrael being dragged kicking and screaming into the depths of Hell, they were certain that they had seen the last of the maniacal Prince. Neither of them however felt a sense of triumph in their heart. Their victory, if it could be called that, was a pyrrhic one. The Royal Palace was now all but destroyed, and they had come too late to save the Spirit King. Despite all of their efforts, they couldn't prevent Azrael from partially succeeding in his goals.

"What should we do now Kurosaki?" asked Ishida. "We've defeated Azrael, but it doesn't really feel like we've won."

"I know what you mean Ishida," said Ichigo. "I don't know how we're going to rebuild everything he destroyed." The orange haired Shinigami got up from the piece of rubble he had been sitting on. "But…I suppose we've got to start from somewhere." Ichigo walked towards the Spirit Throne, the arcane contraption that he and Ishida had fought their hardest to protect. The golden chair was in the same state it was in when Ichigo first saw it, with a golden mask-like helmet lying on top of the seat.

"What are you doing Kurosaki?" asked Ishida. The Quincy got up and followed after his friend. As the two of them neared the Spirit Throne, a ghostly apparition suddenly materialized in front of them. The spirit's appearance caused Ichigo to fall over onto his rear end.

"Urahara-san?" asked a surprised Ichigo. In terms of hair, facial appearance and body structure, the spirit was exactly identical to the 12th Division Captain. However, on closer inspection, Ichigo realized there were other aspects about the spirit, namely the lavish golden robes he was wearing, the golden circlet around his head, and the general presence he gave off, that made him different from Urahara.

"We meet at last Kurosaki Ichigo," said the spirit. His voice was deep and had an aspect of age and wisdom that belied his appearance.

"Who are you? You look a lot like Urahara-san," said Ichigo. The spirit chuckled.

"It pleases me for you to compare me to him. The two of us are alike in a lot of ways."

"What do you mean?" The spirit gazed at Ichigo with a pair of deep blue eyes.

"Urahara Kisuke was the agent I chose to carry out my plans in Soul Society and the World of the Living."

"He was your agent?" Ichigo was initially confused by the spirit's words, but then his mind recalled something that had been said by Urahara himself during the confrontation with Azrael underneath Mount Fuji: "_Ever since I was a child I kept on hearing this strange voice in my head and every so often my mind would be filled with knowledge about the universe that no mortal would have possessed_."

"Now I know who you are. You're Susano-o, the brother of Tsukuyomi/Azrael aren't you?" asked Ichigo. The spirit nodded with a smile.

"But I thought Azrael had killed you," said Ishida. "Aren't you already dead?"

"I am dead," said Susano-o. "My soul no longer exists. What you are seeing now is but a mere memory of me. Until now it had been lying dormant inside of Urahara Kisuke's mind. Both he and I sensed the final defeat of my brother Tsukuyomi. I judged the time was right for me to make my last appearance in front of you, Kurosaki Ichigo and Ishida Uryu. I owe both of you an apology; for I am largely responsible for the lives the two of you have lived."

"You don't need to be sorry Susano-o-san. If you were the one who was guiding me all this time, then I have to thank you for everything you have done," said Ichigo.

"I feel the same way as Kurosaki. I'm not angry at having my fate being decided by a god like being such as you," said Ishida. The apparition of Susano-o laughed heartily.

"The two of you are truly unique. I was right for choosing you as my champions. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for defeating my brother Tsukuyomi. You accomplished something that was beyond even my powers to achieve." Susano-o's face turned somber and the jovial tone he had was gone. "I do not have long left in this world, so listen closely." Ichigo and Ishida nodded, showing that they were paying attention.

"When I am gone, someone must take my place as the new Spirit King." Susano-o pointed to the helmet lying on the Spirit Throne's chair. "The helmet you see here is the Royal Crown. It is the conduit of the Spirit King's powers. Whoever puts it on will have their souls bound to the mechanisms of the Spirit Throne."

"So one of us must put this helmet upon our heads and sit upon that throne?" asked Ishida.

"Yes. The Spirit King is the lynchpin between Soul Society, the world of the living, and Hueco Mundo. Without him, the balance of souls between each of the worlds will break down, and the worlds will collide with each other, causing the end of the universe."

"I see. Unless ether Ishida or I become the new Spirit King, then Azrael/Tsukuyomi will have won anyway." Susano-o nodded.

"I am sorry for thrusting this heavy burden upon your shoulders, but fate has fallen upon the two of you to save all of creation." Susano-o sighed as his body started to fade. "I know you will make the right choice, as you always have."

"Yeah, you can count on us Susano-o-san," said Ichigo with a smile. The former Spirit King smiled as his body faded away into nothingness. When he was gone, Ichigo stared at the crown lying upon the Spirit Throne.

"Are you going to wear it Kurosaki?" asked Ishida. Ichigo nodded.

"Someone has to become the new Spirit King, and there's no one more suited for it than I am. After all, I am the last surviving member of the Royal bloodline. Somehow I feel like this is the task I was born for," said Ichigo.

"Are you really sure about that Kurosaki? What about your family and your nakama? If you become the Spirit King you will never see them again. I think you should take your time to decide."

"We don't have time Ishida! You heard what Susano-o-san said, the longer the Spirit Throne is vacant, the sooner Soul Society and the real world will be destroyed!"

"Alright, if you are committed to it, I will go back and convey your last words to Kuchiki and everyone else."

"Thanks Ishida." Ishida watched as Ichigo picked up the mighty helmet and prepared to put it upon his head. Just as he was about to put it on, Ichigo was suddenly stopped by a voice from behind.

"Stop Kurosaki Ichigo!" Ichigo dropped the helmet and he and Ishida turned around. They gasped in shock at the figure walking towards them. It was Aizen. He was moving laboriously and panting heavily, but he was clearly alive.

"Aizen…but how?" asked Ichigo. "I thought you were dead."

"Aizen Sousuke is dead. I have revived his body using the last remnants of my power." The voice coming out of Aizen's mouth sounded alien and otherworldly.

"If you're not Aizen then who are you?"

"I am the Hougyoku." Ichigo and Ishida were stunned by those words. "After my master Aizen's soul was taken from his body, I used all of my powers to keep the body alive and functioning enough so that I could bring it here." The body of Aizen, who was now controlled by the Hougyoku, started coughing blood from his mouth. Ichigo and Ishida rushed to his side to stop him falling over.

"Please, take me to the Spirit Throne and put the crown upon my head," said the Hougyoku. "I shall become the new Spirit King."

Ichigo was hesitant to listen to the Hougyoku's words. In his heart, he still believed he was the only choice to succeed Susano-o.

"Please, let me bear the burden of being the new Spirit King, Kurosaki Ichigo. I was created for the sole purpose of becoming the conduit for the first Spirit King's Izanagi's powers. I have no other purpose in existing. You on the other hand have so much to live for. There is no need for you to sacrifice your life for the sake of the world."

"Then tell me Hougyoku. If I was not destined to be Spirit King, then what is my destiny?" asked Ichigo.

"Your destiny is to protect Soul Society and the world of the living. That is your duty, and the duty of the successors who will come after you." The Hougyoku's words jolted Ichigo's heart and caused him to remember the moment when he committed himself to becoming a Shinigami, and how he had told Rukia that "_he was not a good enough person to sacrifice his life for total strangers"_.

"Man, I can't believe how much I've changed. From only thinking of protecting my family and nakama, to be willing to sacrifice my life to protect every soul in existence, I've really come a long way. But I guess now is a good time for me to stop thinking of the wellbeing of others and start thinking for myself." Ichigo smiled at the Hougyoku. "Alright then, if you're willing to take the burden of being the Spirit King from me, then I'm fine with it."

"Thank you, Kurosaki Ichigo." The Hougyoku-possessed Aizen smiled as Ichigo and Ishida helped him to sit upon the Spirit Throne. They then slowly placed the almighty Royal Crown upon his head. When the crown fully covered Aizen's head, a miraculous event occurred. First Aizen's head, then his whole body, then the entire Spirit Throne started glowing brightly. The radiant light that shone outwards was so bright that it momentarily blinded both Ichigo and Ishida.

"Argh my eyes!" exclaimed Ishida. A second later the light disappeared, and the two men's eyesight gradually returned. When they opened their eyes again Ichigo and Ishida were astounded by what they saw. The King's Chamber, along with the rest of the Royal Palace, had been restored to their original untouched state; all traces of the apocalyptic battle that had been waged in the King's Realm a short while ago was gone.

"Everything has been...restored?" asked Ichigo. He looked at the Spirit Throne again, and saw that the being once known as Aizen had now completely fused with the Spirit Throne, becoming an immobile statue. Numerous cords and wires were attached to his body that connected to the Spirit Throne and the wider network running through the Royal Palace. The new Spirit King spoke to Ichigo and Ishida, with a voice that transcended human understanding.

"The circle is now complete. The Spirit Throne, the Royal Palace and the King's Realm have returned to their former glory," said the Hougyoku. "The restoration of the balance between Soul Society, the world of the living, and Hueco Mundo can finally begin. It will be a task that will take many generations to finish, and it is a task that I, despite possessing all of Izanagi's former powers, cannot hope to accomplish by myself. Will you, Kurosaki Ichigo and Ishida Uryu, be willing to help me in this great effort?"

"Of course we will," said Ichigo, giving a thumbs up gesture. "As long as I am alive, I will do my best to help rebuild Soul Society and protect it."

"The same goes for me. I shall strive to protect the world of the living as much as I can," said Ishida.

"I am glad to hear it. Now then, it is time for us to part ways forever. Once the two of you leave the King's Realm, you must never return. Nor shall anyone else ever set foot in this realm again, for I shall seal the entrance to this dimension for all eternity." Both Ichigo and Ishida took this news in their stride; the two of them knew that this was the moment of goodbye.

"Do you have any last words you want us to say to the people the world above?" asked Ichigo. "Our friends and family deserve to know at least something about what transpired here." "I have only one message I would like you to convey to the people of Soul Society: tell them that the Spirit King is still alive, and that the King's Realm is forever off limits to mortal beings."

"I understand. You can leave everything to me." Ichigo bowed his head in respect for the new Spirit King. The king appeared to smile in understanding as he caused a portal to open in the middle of the Chamber. Ichigo and Ishida gave their last farewells before the two of them walked through the portal. They exited the portal to find themselves in the middle of a still devastated Heart of Seireitei. A few seconds later the vast ball of spirit energy that had formed the entrance to the King's Realm slowly disappeared, forever sealing that dimension off.

"Well, looks like everything is finally over. Shall we head home Ishida?" asked Ichigo.

"What do you think Kurosaki? I'm dying to get back," said Ishida with a smile.

* * *

It took almost an hour for Ichigo and Ishida to ascend the vast distance between the Heart of Seireitei and the surface of Soul Society. As the two of them finally flew out of the massive shaft and arrived in the centre of Seireitei, they were surprised to see a crowd of people waiting for them. Almost sixty people, most of them Shinigami, but with significant numbers of civilians as well, were standing around the hole in the centre of the city. All of them were up in arms and ecstatic at seeing Ichigo and Ishida's faces.

"Wow, look at all of these people," said Ishida. "I've never seen so many happy faces in my life. It's as if we've become heroes."

"I think what you just said is the understatement of the century Ishida," said Ichigo with a smile. The orange-haired slowly descended towards the ground. As soon as he landed, he was instantly tackled and hugged by a warm and familiar face.

"Ichigo!" cried an emotional and tearful Rukia. "I'm so glad you are alive!" She was not the only one to express her happiness. No sooner had Ichigo gotten over the surprise at being suddenly greeted then he was tackled by two other girls, both of whom he was delighted to see.

"Onii-chan!" cried Karin and Yuzu in happiness. "We've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you too. I've missed all of you," said Ichigo with a smile. As he lay on the ground with the three women he loved the most, he was just to be back.

Ichigo was not the only one to receive a warm greeting. As soon as Ishida had touched down his glasses and face were instantly pressed against the big and bouncy breasts of Orihime, who had ran to hug him as soon as she saw him,

"Ishida-kun!" cried Orihime, hugging her man tightly with her arms.

"You're alive Inoue," said Ishida with a smile. Gradually, all of Ichigo friends and family gathered around him and Ishida. They included his former rivals Renji, Kenpachi and Byakuya, his former mentors Urahara, Yoruichi and Shinji, his cousins-in-law Kukaku and Ganju, the other captains led by Captain Commander Yamamoto, and numerous other lieutenants and high ranking officers of the Gotei 13. All of them were glad to see Ichigo had returned from his journey into the Heart of Seireitei alive.

After Rukia and his sisters had finished greeting him, Ichigo was confronted by a tired and weary Yamamoto.

"Lieutenant Kurosaki, all of us aware that you and the Quincy travelled into the King's Realm to confront the renegade Prince Tsukuyomi. Many you tell us what transpired down in that place?" asked Yamamoto. Though the Captain Commander's voice was calm and gentle, Ichigo knew it was an order and not a request. Still, he hesitated for a moment, as he remembered the words the Hougyoku had spoken to him after it had become the Spirit King. Ichigo took a deep breath before responding.

"Azrael/Tsukuyomi is dead. Ishida and I comprehensively defeated him," said Ichigo. He didn't mention the fact that Azrael had been dragged into the depths of Hell. "The Spirit King is still alive, and the Royal Palace is still standing. Before we left, the king told us that he was going to forever seal the King's Realm off from Soul Society forever."

Yamamoto and the other captains took a while to comprehend Ichigo's report. They were relieved that Azrael had finally been defeated, but news that the King's Realm was permanently sealed off was disturbing to a few of the captains. Yamamoto silenced all of their concerns.

"I see. If the King's Realm is no longer accessible, then there is no need for the Gotei 13 to maintain a link to the Heart of Seireitei and the Ouken any longer," said the Captain Commander. "With Prince Tsukuyomi defeated at last, this bloody civil war is finally over."

"So that means we've won right?" asked Sui Feng. The 2nd Division Captain's optimistic view instantly soured when she saw the faces of her comrades. None of them thought they had achieved a victory at all, considering the enormous price everyone had to pay in terms of lives lost and the devastating impact the war had upon Soul Society.

"What are we going to do now? We've lost so much!" cried Hitsugaya. The emotional Captain of the 10th Division fell onto his knees and slammed his fists upon rubble in despair. "Matsumoto, Hinamori, Kira, so many of our nakama are dead! They can never be brought back!"

"Rebuilding Seireitei is going to be a pain in the ass too," said Shunsui. "Even if we had the resources we had before, we are never going to restore the Senzaikyu tower or the Sokyoku Hill."

"Forget about rebuilding Seireitei, just getting a functional government up and running to oversee Soul Society is going to be impossible now that the Central 46 and most of the noble families are dead," said Byakuya.

The other captains and lieutenants shared the views of Hitsugaya, Shunsui and Byakuya; they all thought it was impossible to replace what the war had destroyed.

"It isn't just Soul Society that has been ruined by the war," said Ishida. "The human world is hurting too. Karakura Town and all of its inhabitants are gone. There is no way we can bring them back." Having lived in both worlds for a considerable amount of time, Ichigo was painfully aware of the carnage that Azrael and his henchmen had wrought in his trail of vengeance. He clenched his fists in frustration; despite all of the strength he had gained, he was powerless to do anything to restore what had been lost.

"Hey, why do all of you look so glum and unhappy?" asked Rukia. The lively 13th division lieutenant and reincarnated royal princess was the only person who wasn't in a state of despair. "There is a way for us to return everything to the state it was before, and revive all of the people who have died."

"Huh?" The others all gazed at Rukia with perplexed faces.

"What do you mean Kuchiki? Are you saying you have the power to restore everything that was destroyed?" asked Ukitake. Rukia nodded firmly.

"I am Princess Tsukino after all. I know I have within me the power and ability to reverse all of the damage caused by my late brother." Rukia closed her eyes for a moment, before glancing at Orihime. "But I don't think I can achieve such a task by myself."

"Damn straight you can't!" exclaimed Renji. He grabbed Rukia by the shoulders. "Are you sure what you said was true Rukia? Can you really revive everyone who was killed?"

"She isn't joking Renji," said Ichigo. The orange haired Shinigami walked over to Rukia and grabbed hold of her right hand. "I believe you can do it Rukia. I'll do everything I can to assist you."

"Thank you Ichigo," smiled Rukia. The raven haired woman turned to Orihime.

"I'll need your help too Inoue. I have the ability to retrieve the souls of people whose bodies no longer exist, but I don't have the ability to recreate objects from thin air like you do."

"Huh, you want my help Kuchiki-san? I'll gladly do it!" exclaimed Orihime.

"You'll be needing my help too Tsukino Oujo-sama," said Urahara. The 12th Division captain pulled out his Zanpakuto and pointed it at the sky. "Ever since the war began, I've been preparing a contingency plan in case the worse came to pass." By shooting a bolt of spirit energy into the air, Urahara caused the sky above Seireitei to distort and crack until finally a huge dimensional portal suddenly appeared high above the city. The other Shinigami gasped in surprise when they saw the portal.

"Hey Kisuke isn't that Karakura Town on the other side?" asked Yoruichi. She pointed at the image of a ruined city that was clearly visible from the portal. Urahara nodded.

"I used _Keikaigi_ in combination with my _Tenkai Kecchu_ to create a gateway between Soul Society and the Real World. Knowing the extent of Tsukino Oujo-sama's powers, I believe this will allow her to restore Karakura Town together with Seireitei."

"Thank you Urahara Taicho. I think we are ready for the process to begin," said Rukia.

"Hold on a minute," interrupted Yamamoto. "Do you understand the magnitude of the task you are attempting to accomplish? Even if you are Tsukino Oujo reborn, a mass resurrection of such scale and magnitude will surely cause you to lose all of your powers. Are you sure you are ready to face the consequences?" Rukia looked into the Captain Commander's eyes and understood the concern the old man had with her welfare.

"I am well prepared for whatever happens Sotaicho. Losing my powers or even my memories as Princess Tsukino would be a small price to pay for restoring everything we've lost," said Rukia. Yamamoto took a while to consider Rukia's words before finally giving a nod and a sigh of consent.

"Could everyone move back a bit? Inoue and I need some room to begin the ritual," said Rukia. The others all complied and stepped back several paces to give the two girls a circular space about ten feet across. Only Ichigo and Ishida stood close by.

"What do you want me to do Kuchiki-san?" asked Orihime.

"Hold your hands in front of your body and begin casting your _Soten Kesshun_ spell," said Rukia. "I will channel my powers into you and amplify them."

"Um, okay." A nervous Orihime held her hands forward and cast _Soten Kesshun_, creating an orange spiritual barrier shaped like a dome around herself and Rukia. When the barrier was complete, Rukia then placed her hands near Orihime's hands and began chanting an ancient spell. As she chanted, an enormous amount of reiatsu began flowing from Rukia into Orihime.

"Wow, I can feel an incredible amount of energy running through my body. I've never experienced such a sensation in my whole life!" exclaimed Orihime.

"Take a look at what is happening around us," said Rukia with a smile. Orihime, Ichigo and Ishida all gasped when they saw the orange dome she had created rapidly expand outwards. Within seconds the dome covered nearly half of Seireitei. As it continued to expand, the dome's effects upon the area inside its influence became immediately apparent. The mountain of rubble that had lain about everywhere soon disappeared, and houses, walls and pillars and even trees and soil started reappearing. When the orange dome finally encompassed all of Seireitei, the Shinigami and other survivors all gawked in awe and wonder as the massive hole in the centre of the middle started disappearing as billions of tons of vaporized rock re-appeared. Within minutes the entire hole was filled.

The miracle did not end there. Soon the two iconic structures of Seireitei, the Senzaikyu Tower and the Sokyoku Hill began re-emerging, and were bit by bit were fully restored to their full glory. No one standing around Rukia and Orihime could believe what they were seeing.

"This is incredible," said Ichigo. When he looked at Rukia however he noticed she was sweating profusely all over. The strain on her face was evident.

"Kuchiki-san, I think you're overdoing it," said Inoue.

"No I'm not. We still haven't extended your _Soten Kesshun_ through the portal to Karakura Town yet," insisted Rukia.

"You don't have to push yourself Kuchiki-san! I can tell that you're at your limit." No matter how brave a face she put, Rukia knew Orihime was telling the truth. It was taking all of spiritual energy just to maintain the current size of the dome and restore all of the damaged structures. _Damn it, I haven't even revived a single person yet, _thought Rukia._ Is this the limit to my power?_

Just as she was about to exhaust her reserves, Rukia suddenly felt an influx of spirit energy gushing through her body. The influx was so huge that her entire body shuddered. She was about to wonder where the energy was coming from when she realized that there were two hands upon her shoulders.

"I thought you might need some help," said Ichigo with a warm smile on his face.

"Ichigo…" Rukia didn't know what to say.

"I told you that I'd do all I could to help you Rukia. Take as much energy from me as you need." Rukia nodded and used the spirit energy she received from Ichigo to create gigantic column of light that shot upwards and went straight through the portal.

* * *

At this moment, in an apartment house in the middle of Karakura Town, Arisawa Tatsuki was suddenly woken up by a pair of hands.

"Wake up Tatsuki!" shouted Chad. Tatsuki opened her eyes and was surprised to see her beloved fiancé standing beside her,

"Chad! Since when did you…?" asked Tatsuki in surprise. Chad covered her mouth and urged her to come downstairs.

"There's something you've got to see." Chad led Tatsuki downstairs and onto the streets. What the two of them saw was a phenomenon that was beyond their understanding. Somehow a giant dome made out of spiritual energy had appeared which completely covered the whole of Karakura Town. Though the dome was invisible to those who lacked spirit energy, what was happening inside the dome was clearly seen by everyone who was still alive. Before their eyes, thousands upon thousands of houses, large buildings, roads and even skyscrapers and bridges that had been destroyed by volcanic ash were rebuilt from scratch.

"What….what is happening? What is causing all of this?" asked a confused and amazed Tatsuki. Chad however had no doubt who was responsible for this miracle.

"It must be Ichigo, Rukia and Inoue," said Chad with a big grin on his face. "I can feel their spiritual pressure."

* * *

Back in Soul Society, Rukia, Orihime and Ichigo together had succeeded in restoring all of Seireitei to its pre-war glory. They how faced the harder task of resurrecting everyone who had died. It was taking all of their effort just to repair the mangled bodies of the people who were killed in Azrael's destruction of Seireitei, let alone attempting to returning the spirits of the soul who had already passed on.

"This isn't working Rukia," said Ichigo. "None of the people were killed by Azrael and his forces are reviving."

"What's going on? I thought my powers would be sufficient to return everyone's souls to their bodies," said Rukia.

"I'm sorry Kuchiki-san, it's my fault," apologized Orihime. "I simply can't handle the amount of power you're giving me."

"Then perhaps I should help you," said Ishida with a grin. The Quincy put his hands on the shoulders of his beloved. He then channeled the five million souls inside the _Niebelung_ he was wearing into Orihime. Orihime gasped as an incredible amount of reiatsu flooded her body.

"Thank you Ishida-kun! I think I can do it now!" exclaimed Orihime.

"We can do this together!" shouted Ichigo. With all of their hearts sharing the same belief, the four nakama pooled together their powers and succeeded in resurrecting the bodies and spirits of everyone who had died in Seireitei and Karakura Town. Soon they could hear gasps and shrieks of astonishment as thousands of Shinigami, Onmitsukidou militia and nobles and civilians alike came back from the dead.

"Matsumoto! Hinamori!" cried an emotional Hitsugaya. The little captain rushed to embrace his lieutenant and third seat, who were still bewildered at what happened to them. It wasn't just Hitsugaya who was celebrating. Rukia's captain Ukitake greeted his third seats Kiyone and Sentaro as they woke up. Shunsui and Lisa hugged and kissed their beloved Nanao as she awoke. Other notable people who had died such as Kira, Hisagi and Isane were surrounded by their comrades.

A few minutes later, the great spiritual dome over Seireitei gradually disappeared, along with the portal and the column of light connecting Soul Society with Karakura Town. The people who had been responsible for the miracle, Ichigo, Rukia, Orihime and Ishida, collapsed onto their backs in exhaustion.

"We did it," said a Rukia beaming with happiness.

"I always believed we could," grinned Ichigo. The four heroes were greeted by their friends and relatives, and helped to their feet by Renji, Byakuya, Urahara and Yoruichi.

"I don't feel the reiatsu of Kirio-san and the other Royal Guards," said Urahara.

"You are right Urahara. Grandfather has not returned from the dead," said Byakuya. Ichigo and Rukia bowed their heads slightly.

"I'm sorry Nii-sama. I did my best, but the souls of the Royal Guards were beyond my power to resurrect," said Rukia.

"You have nothing to be ashamed about Tsukino Oujo," said a voice from behind. Rukia and the others turned around to see a completely revitalized Yamamoto with a fully regenerated left arm clearly visible. "You and Kurosaki Ichigo, along with your human nakama have already given us more than we could ever hope for. With your efforts, Soul Society has not only been saved, but it has been restored to its former glory." The Captain turned around and addressed all of the Shinigami, militia and civilians gathered before him.

"We shall mourn the passing of the Royal Guards, for their deaths represent the end of an era. However, on the same token, this day shall be celebrated in the annals of Soul Society history as the day when the Great Civil War ended." Ichigo looked up the sky and smiled. _It is finally over, dad_, he thought.

* * *

Comments

This chapter wraps up all of the loose ends of the Civil War Arc, and the Royal Guard Saga as a whole. The next chapter will see the final conclusion of the story. Undoubtedly there will be some people who dislike how this arc has ended, especially the events that transpire in this chapter. But considering the tone of Bleach, and Shonen manga as a whole, I think it was appropriate that the arc ended on a happy rather than depressing note. There are enough lasting changes to the main and minor characters together with Soul Society as a whole to ensure that not everything has been restored to the previous status quo.

*Azrael's end: I know a lot of people are going to be perplexed that Azrael somehow survived Ichigo's Tengetsu attack. In my opinion having Azrael come back after the last blow was necessary in order to give him the end that he deserves. Instead of simply being vaporized, I thought it was better that he was actually punished for his crimes. His final end also allowed me to bring back the gates of Hell and King Enma for one last time and resolve all of the unaddressed plotlines relating to them.

*Aizen as Spirit King: Now here is another event that I know many people will be surprised and astonished about. I saw a few readers were commenting about what would happen to the King's Realm after Azrael was defeated, with some predicting that Urahara would take the throne. I bet none of you saw Aizen's coronation as Spirit King coming. Before everyone rages, I will say that having Aizen take the Spirit Throne not out of greed or power, but in order to save the world, was a fitting end for his evolution as a character. To be more specific, the one who becomes Spirit King isn't Aizen per se, but rather the Hougyoku itself who took over his dead body. The crowning of the Spirit King was sort of intended to be a homage of the birth of the new Lich King at the end of WoW: Wrath of the Lich King.

*The restoration of Seireitei and Karakura Town: I think this is the event that readers will find the most controversial. The mass revival of of all the dead characters is I guess very similar to the Dragon Balls as well as the end of the Pain Invasion Arc in Naruto. However, I think this moment has enough distinctive traits of the Bleach manga to make it different from the other two events. After the displays of power from Ichigo and Ishida, I wanted to give Rukia and Orihime their last moment in the limelight, and to make use of what are arguably their strongest powers: the ability to restore living and non-living objects to their original state. Also, I wanted to depict a poignant scene where Ichigo and Ishida give all of their power to help their loved ones. I will end by saying that not everyone who was killed during the war was resurrected. The nine Royal Guards, due to the manner of their deaths, have not been brought back. Obviously Isshin and Ryuken remain dead, and the same goes for Susano-o. For the characters who were brought back, and even for the characters who weren't killed, the next chapter will show the lasting effects the war has had upon all of them.


End file.
